Girls' Day Off
by ddp456
Summary: When Mabel wins a contest for an all-day trip to the local spa, she drags a reluctant Wendy along for the ride. However, a hidden evil lies within, waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike. Will the girls be able to escape danger unscathed and enjoy the day that was promised? Thanks to Esoyeon for the cover art! Thanks again for any rev/favs, etc.
1. Chapter 1

"…so, Thompson went on eating those things like crazy. I mean, he polished off half the bag in ten minutes!"

Dipper Pines laughed aloud as he hung on Wendy Corduroy's every word. He looked up at her, his head resting against his palm, elbow on the old wooden counter, as she continued to recall her latest misadventure with her teenage friends.

"And how long did you guys wait to tell him that he was eating _dog treats_?"

Wendy's grin only grew, "Now, hang a sec there, buddy." She innocently pointed her hands towards her flannelled chest, "You know I'm not that mean to do something like that! And we did try to tell him, but he just wouldn't listen to us; he just said…" The redhead changed her voice to a deep, gruff one in order to match that of her classmate, "You guys are trying to mess with me! If it wasn't meant for people, then why did they put that cartoon dog from TV on the bag?"

Unable to control himself, Dipper fell over on the desk, thwacking his forehead on the hard surface as he exploded with laughter. Reacting to the sight before her, Wendy quickly joined suit, literally holding her sides still. The rampant giggling of the two adolescences echoed throughout the Mystery Shack. Actual tears flowed down their now-reddened faces.

"Man…oh, man…" Dipper was the first to speak breathlessly. "That…was…hilarious!"

Wendy wiped a tear away from a green eye, "You don't know the half of it, Dip. With the gang, it's always a laugh a minute…"

"I'll bet…"

Suddenly, the hilarious bliss was interrupted by a loud, ear-piercing screech erupting from the living room:

"OMIGOSH! OMIGOSH! OMIGOSH!"

A second later, the swinging door leading to the Gift Shop was thrown open as a pink and brown blur raced around the room.

"I WON! I WON! I WON!"

The streak came to a stop as Mabel Pines dropped to her knees and repeatedly pumped her arms into the sky, "I…just…can't…believe…it!"

Wendy and Dipper watched silently as the tiny pixie came to a complete stop in the middle of the floor. The two gave each other a confused look before the tall lumberjack spoke up, "Okay, I'll bite. What did you win?"

Mabel sprang up with renewed energy and bounced towards her friend's countertop. She proudly displayed a sheet of paper in front of Wendy's face with a "TA-DA!"

Dipper leaned around and began to read aloud:

"MABEL PINES –

CONGRATULATIONS! YOU AND A FEMALE COMPANION OF YOUR CHOICE HAVE BEEN SELECTED TO ENJOY A COMPLIMENTARY "GIRLS' DAY OFF" AT THE GRAVITY FALLS SPA AND REJULVINATION CENTER, COURTESY OF THE GRAVITY FALLS GOSSPIER.

PLEASE MAKE SURE TO RSVP AS SOON AS POSSIBLE IN ORDER TO PROPERLY SECURE YOUR PRIVATE RESERVATION.

THANKS AGAIN FOR BEING A LOYAL AND VALUABLE READER!

-DINGEO LEEGULF  
GRAVITY FALLS GOSSIPER"

"Huh…imagine that…" Wendy sat back on her stool, placing her muddy boots over the countertop in an effort to become more comfortable. "Well, that stuff sounds really…exciting, Mabes. Congrats!" She quickly reached over and picked up the closest indie music magazine.

"Are Candy and Grenda already fighting over which one gets to go with you?" Dipper asked.

An embarrassed look spread across Mabel's face as she started to rub a black slip-on against the chipped flooring, "Actually, Marius; you guys know, that Prince-guy, is planning to take both of them on his yacht tomorrow." Her tone rose slightly in a teasingly way, "So, I guess that means there's _only one other person_ I can get to go with me…" Her brown eyes glanced towards her co-worker until the sudden silence made Wendy look up from her literature.

"Wha – are you talking about me?"

"Of course I am! C'mon, Wendy! It'll be a lot of fun! And besides…" Mabel leaned over and playfully pinched the tip of the teen's boot, "…when were the last time that these little piggies have been to market?"

Wendy immediately pulled her legs out of reach and set her feet on the floor, "That may be your kinda thing, Mabel, but I'm not really too big on the whole "prim and pamper thing…"

"But…"

"And besides, Mabel," Dipper jumped to his crush's defense, "Why would Wendy, of all people, need to go to a spa? She is _already_ gorgeous…" He stopped in awkwardness a split second later, realizing a moment too late what he had done. The sleuth swiftly turned his head to see that Wendy was looking in his decision with a slight brush forming in her cheeks.

"Uhh…" Dipper's natural nervousness shortly overtook him in an attempt to weasel out of the embarrassing situation. "I meant, why should she go to a beauty treatment if she's always been beautiful to me?" He knocked his forehead with his fist as he struggled to spit out the right words, "No, I wanted to say how can you improve on perfection? Crap, wait! I…"

His not-so-secret admirer rolled her eyes, sighed, and gave her smitten partner in crime a soft lovetap in the back of the head to help him express his thought.

"Wendy is fine the way she is!"

"There you go," Wendy prided. "Fixed that for you…"

"But it's not just that!" Mabel countered, "Having a spa day is not about having your nails done. It's about getting all of the ickyness and negativity out of your body and letting your natural beauty shine." She started to count off on her fingers, "There are fish pedicures, the sauna room, mud baths, facial treatments and hair creambaths, and my favorite…" The little girl shuddered in delight as she thought about it, "getting massaged by tall, muscular Swedish guys with thick accents for hours on end!"

The cashier crossed her arms in skepticism, "In other words, we'd play in the mud, get our toes bitten by angry, annoyed fish, hang out in the searing heat, and get groped by total strangers – all things that we could do out in the wild – _for free_ – but at triple the cost? Thanks, but no thanks…"

"Did you forget, Wendy?" Mabel harked back, "We don't have to pay a single cent! And besides, when is the next time I'm going to win another contest like this? Especially one I really don't remember entering?"

Dipper instantly took notice of that small detail. "Don't remember entering…" he repeated to himself, raising a hand to his chin as the girls continued to conserve.

"I'm really sorry, Mabel," Wendy explained, "But I just don't think that I'm the right person for that kind of place."

Mabel stood on her tip-toes and gave her friend a wide-eyed, puppy-dog look, "PPPLLLEEEAAASSSEEEE?"

"Hmm…" Wendy resumed her seat on the stool behind her, "I'll…think about it, okay?"

All of the excitement was sucked out of the small pre-teen's body. Lowering her head in disappointment, she placed the letter on Wendy's counter and sulked away in sadness. A small whisper could be heard as she pushed the door leading back to the family room:

"That always means "no…"

As soon as Mabel disappeared, Wendy let out a heavy breath, "Man, talk about a total guilt-trip." She turned her head to meet Dipper, "Am I right or what?"

Instead of finding him in agreement, Dipper was staring into the distance; his face twisted in deep thought and concern.

"And what's the matter with you?"

After a moment, he came back around towards his sweetheart, "Maybe…you _should_ go to this thing with Mabel…"

"WHAT?!" Wendy couldn't believe what she had heard. "Hang on there, stutters! Two minutes ago, you were on my side! What's the deal with the flip-flopping?"

"I know! I know!" Dipper held his hands up in innocence, "But, something…something doesn't seem right with whole thing…" He snatched the announcement off of the counter and read it over and over, hoping to have a clue leap off the page at him.

"How so?"

"I'm…not sure, but it just seems like too much of a coincidence…" Dipper's eyes gazed off the page in his hands. "Is there any way you'd change your mind and go with Mabel; just to make sure everything's on the up-and-up?"

Before she knew it, her partner in crime was displaying the same "puppy-dog look" his twin sister had used only moments ago.

"Oh, come on, Dipper!" Wendy slammed her magazine down on the worn desk. "Not you, too!" She purposely avoided his stare. "Mabel will be just fine if she goes by herself. And besides, if you're so worried, why don't _you_ tag along with her?"

" _Girls only_ , remember?" Dipper pointed out the rules of the contest, "So, I couldn't go, even if I wanted to. I know this is a huge pain, Wendy, but you're the only person I'd count on for this kinda thing! And if you were to do this for me…" His voice changed to that of a teasing nature, "I'd definitely owe you big…"

With her curiosity piqued, Wendy looked back in his direction slightly, "How big?"

"Let's say…" Dipper quickly pulled out his Monstermon wallet and double-checked his funds, making sure that he could keep his word, "…upgrading that microwave popcorn to a nice pepperoni and anchovy pizza for tomorrow's movie night…"

Upon mention of her favorite midnight snack, Wendy's stomach purred, almost as if it were begging her to reconsider.

"…extra-large?"

Dipper nodded, "You know it…"

"Grr…" Taking a second to think it over, Wendy extended an open hand towards her friend. "Deal."

Ecstatic, Dipper reached out towards the ginger, only for her to pull her hand away at the last second and mockingly run it through the crown of her long red hair. "HEH! Too slow!" She hopped off her stool, walked around the checkout, and towards the door leading to the front room, "This is going to be a cinch!"

"HA!" Dipper let out a sardonic laugh, prompting Wendy to look over her shoulder.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

He started to elaborate, "I know you think I'm being over-protective, but trust me when I say that Mabel can definitely be more than a handful. She has a knack for getting herself into deep trouble, especially when she has her mind dead set on something…"

Wendy let out a raspberry and waved his concern away, "Relax, Dipper, man. You gotta stop being so paranoid. I mean, _it's just a spa!_ What's the worst that can happen?"

Without waiting for a response, Wendy pushed open the door and entered the next room, "Hey, Mabel? Listen, I changed my mind…"

Despite having a huge weight lifted off his shoulder, the sense of uncertainly wouldn't fully leave Dipper's mind. Taking a piece of paper and pen from Wendy's desk, he wrote a short sentence on the sheet:

"DINGEO LEEGULF…" the tiny detective repeated to himself, as he scribbled the name again and again. For some reason, the representative from the Gravity Falls Gossiper stuck out at the back of his mind.

"But why…?"

* * *

"Well, this is it!"

Wendy started to remove her helmet as Mabel hopped off the front of her red bicycle. The smaller Pines twin looked up in amazement at the white-bricked building before her. The mounted sign at the top paneling stated: "GRAVITY FALLS SPA AND REJULVINATION CENTER."

"Whoa!" Mabel exclaimed with a sense of whimsy, "This place is massive!"

"Yeah…" Wendy couldn't help but to be somewhat amazed herself as she carefully secured her bike to a nearby light post. "I've must have passed this place a billion times before, and yet, I never really paid it any mind…"

Before she knew it, Mabel snatched her hand and started to pull her inside the complex, "What are we waiting for, Wendy? Let's go!"

The still-hesitant teenager dragged her booted feet against the cement sidewalk as she was yanked from the last of her comfort zone, "Just – hang on – let me - "

"Oh, c'mon already!"

* * *

Little did they know, from the first moment the friends entered the beauty establishment, they were being _watched_.

 _"She's here…"_

From a hidden room deep within the compound, their mysterious host watched Wendy and Mabel's every move from behind a series of surveillance monitors. Sinister chuckles echoed throughout the space as the order was given:

"Follow the plan to the last detail! There can be no mistakes this time!"

The mastermind placed a hand against the screen, "Now, don't you worry. It'll be just a little longer, but everything will be right soon enough…I can promise you that…"


	2. Chapter 2

"Whoa-a-a-a!" Mabel exclaimed as walked through the doorway of the spa. "Just look at this place!"

"Yeah…" Wendy tried to force an excited expression for her friend's sake, "…it's definitely… _something_ …"

The redhead instantly found herself surrounded by the color white. Milk-white concrete steps led from the front door to the check-in desk – the bowl-shaped structure was made with a transparent glass-like substance, allowing the teen to see the thick layer of ivory paneling covered the wall behind it. The same type of material surrounded countless pillars that were placed throughout the lounge, each reaching into the ceiling. In lieu of walls, giant aquariums were built into the sides of the room, filled to the brim with dozens of colorful tropical fish. A thin, wooden floor surrounded by a coy pond on both sides lead into the next corridor. The energy-efficient lighting mounted above head shone down into the freshly waxed linoleum floor.

The ginger looked past her feet to see her reflection staring back at her – a dismayed look plastered across her freckled face. For some reason, Wendy felt on edge. She glanced up to see Mabel continuing to marvel in her new surroundings.

"Everything…is…absolutely perfect here…"

" _Perfect_." The word lingered in Wendy's mind, as her emerald eyes scanned the unnaturally spotless room. How easily such a phrase was tossed around, especially in a place such as this. Despite her young age, the adolescent knew better than her over-excited co-worker. It was the same thing that her favorite trash magazines did – they purposely chipped away at a person's self-esteem, making them think that there was something wrong with them – that they were far from being perfect in their own special way.

She turned over to see a large cabinet on the south end of the room filled with countless amounts of shampoos, conditioners, skin creams, and other beauty products set at outrageous prices.

"This is what it's truly about…" the crimson lumberjack thought, "Making a quick buck playing with people's emotions – heck, even Stan doesn't sink so low…"

Perhaps that was why seeing the usually self-confident pixie so ecstatic about a business that would have no problem taking full advantage of her bothered Wendy so much. After all, the last thing she would want is for Mabel to end up like that _little blonde yuppie girl_ that strutted around town like she owned the place.

Despite her misgivings, Wendy chose to maintain her silence. After all, she didn't want to hurt Mabel's feelings nor betray Dipper's trust in the slightest.

Mabel bounced towards the desk and repeatedly pressed the silver call bell.

*RING-RING! RING-RING! RING-RING!*

"Ja, Ja," A voice called out from the next room, "I'm coming! I'm coming! You can stop ringing a-ready!"

The swinging door across from the girls opened, revealing a tall, burly man dressed in a white muscle shirt and matching polo pants. His thick bleach-blonde hair slicked back into a ponytail, the chiseled, tanned receptionist walked towards the desk and peered down at the tiny girl before him, lowering his dark sunglasses to reveal his ice-cold blue eyes. A Bluetooth headset was latched onto his right ear.

"Guten tag," he welcomed with a thick German accent, "And what brings you here today, little lady?"

"I – my – oh!" Mabel stammered at the gorgeous sight before her, "Hi! I'm Pabel Mines! I mean, I'm Mabes Pinel!" She slapped her forehead in frustration before turning back towards Wendy. "Is it just me or is it getting hot in here?" She pulled her sweater's neck in an effort to cool herself off.

Luckily, Wendy stepped forward for the save. She placed a hand on Mabel's shoulder, "Chill for a sec, small fry. I got this." The lanky cashier took the award-letter from her cohort's hand and presented it to the receptionist, "This is Mabel Pines, and we're here because she won the contest you guys had with the Gossiper."

The man pulled the correspondence out of Wendy's grip and carefully inspected every line of the note. His eyes slowly pulled up from the sheet towards his guests, "That I see…"

He set the dispatch down on his desk and grasped his huge hands together, "Willkommen to the Gravity Falls Spa and Rejuvenation Center! Here, it is our pleasure to cleanse your body and your spirit!" The host highlighted the name badge on his chest, "My name is Hans, and I am here to serve your every whim! This is good, ja?"

Still star-struck by the hunk in front of her, Mabel was ready to take the man up on his offer. _"Marry me…"_ she whispered under her breath. Wendy could only hold a hand to her face as she grew embarrassed for her buddy.

Hans picked up a clipboard from the counter and began to scribble a few notes on the sheet. "So, we have Fraulein Pines…" He gazed towards Wendy, "And who might you be?"

"Um…" Wendy took a stab at correct pronunciation, using context clues as a guide, "I'm…" _Fraud-u-lin_ " Corduroy…?"

"Danke…" The man went on making notes on his form, "Es freut mich…" He finished his work and brought his full attention to the duo in front of him. "You ladies have an exciting day planned ahead! By the time we are finished today, you will be look and feel like different people!"

"YAY!" They answered; Mabel's outburst was so loud that it overshadowed Wendy's half-hearted, joined response.

"Come this way…" Hans motioned with his tree-trunk arm as he came around the counter, "My associate will guide you to your next destination." He placed a hand against the microphone in his ear, "Klaus! We have guests!"

Heavy footsteps could be heard in the distance coming closer with every passing second. Within a minute, another colossal attendant appeared on the scene. Dressed in the same uniform and equipment as Hans, the employee could pass as his clone, save for his darker hair and lighter skin tone. Mabel's mouth dropped a second time upon setting her sights on the stranger.

"Klaus," Hans began to explain, "These are Frauleins Pines and Corduroy. They are the winners of our contest with the Gossiper…"

The man's expression changed to that of a surprised one, "Is that right…?"

"Ja. Please escort these ladies to the shower room, so we can begin their treatment…"

"Wait, shower room?" Wendy questioned. "I thought the whole point of this was to get us all spruced up?"

Mabel was going to clarify when the instructor went into great detail, "Perhaps I misspoke. This is to rinse away any microbes you might have encountered on the outside – to avoid any chance of soiling the process."

"Oh, okay, then…"

"Super!" Klaus's spirits raised, "Tell me, you little girls have remembered to bring the bathing suits, ja?"

"Yep!"

"Got it on under this junk!"

"Then, let us begin…" He stepped to the side and moved his arms towards a nearby passage, "This way, please…"

Mabel sprinted down the path as fast as her little legs could carry her. A less-than-enthusiastic Wendy trailed after her. The fifteen year old paused for a moment, and looked over her shoulder to see the clerk maintaining his almost-robotic gesture. He raised his head and flashed the girl a plastic smile – an action that made Wendy shudder and resume her direction.

As soon as both girls were well out of sight, Klaus turned around and signaled his counterpart with a nod before disappearing down the same hallway. With the coast cleared, Hans changed the frequency on his headset and reported to the mysterious benefactor in charge of the event.

"They're here, boss…"

* * *

"Of course they are, nitwit," the prepubescent criminal mastermind known as Lil' Gideon screeched into the microphone mounted on the security console before him. "It's a foolproof plan! Absolutely no chance of failure – especially with that fool Dipper being on the other side of town!"

In his maniacal ranting, the plump villain had accidentally pushed his roller chair away from his battle station. Whining and grunting, he tip-toed back into position.

"Question for you, boss…" the henchman given the code name Hans asked, finally free of using a forced Germanic dialect. "You said that it was going to be that Mabel girl and either a tiny Asian girl warning glasses or a beefy brunette with a deep voice. Who is this gingered chick?"

"I'm…not too sure," Gideon sat back in confusion. For some reason, he knew that he had seen Mabel's redheaded escort before, but he couldn't recall from where. "But never mind that! The plan doesn't change in the slightest. Remember – pamper those two until they're numb in relaxation, and then, we strike! We'll separate them, and that's when I'll swoop in to whisk precious Mabel away!"

The lackey chuckled, "Good plan, boss…"

"You're darn right it is!" Gideon went on, "Do you know how much it cost to rent this entire place out? We have only one chance to get this right! And if you fail, you won't get a red cent from me, understand?!"

"I get it, boss…"

"Oh! Hang-on!" Gideon switched channels on the monitor, "They're coming out now! Resume positions!"

Wendy and Mabel stepped out of the shower room as a trail of steam escaped into the atmosphere. Each female now sported a complimentary white robe. With their long hair wrapped tightly into a thick white towel, their slippered feet made soft padding sounds on the hardened floor as they made their way to the next stop.

"You see?" Mabel said, still fill of energy, "That wasn't that bad, wasn't it?"

"Dude," Wendy pointed out, "All we did was stand in a shower stall with our bikinis on. It really wasn't anything special…"

Seeing that her last comment wiped the smile away from Mabel's face, Wendy bit her lip and instantly changed her attitude.

"…but still, it beats cashiering at the Shack…"

With that, Mabel's happy-go-lucky nature swiftly returned as Wendy let out a sigh of relief.

"Of course!" Lil' Gideon pounded on his console, "That's where I know her from! She's that lazy sloth of a cashier girl from the Mystery Shack!"

The villainous eight year old could recall sneaking past Wendy's counter several times as she partook in summertime naps when he would plot against the Pines family. He would also take advantage of the situation and "borrow" handfuls of the expensive moisturizer the unaware teen kept on the counter.

"Oh, come on!" Mabel pestered, "You're telling me you don't like this stuff in the slightest?"

Wendy shrugged, "Can't really like something you never had before…"

Mabel gave her friend an encouraging pat on the back, "Well, that's perfect then! There's a first time for everything! And that way, you and I can be spa buddies!"

The high schooler laughed at her co-worker's overexcitement, "We'll see about that, kiddo…"

"I'm serious, Wendy! Believe me, you'll be begging to come back here! They treat you like a goddess, help get rid of all that stress and nervousness, and when the boys see how you look afterwards, you'll have to beat them off with a stick!"

While the thought of having some of the stress of living with a hectic family relieved did sound promising, Wendy shook her head at the rest, "Uhhh…I don't think that's how it works, Mabel. I mean, no one's really going to notice if I look any different."

"Oh, really?" A sly grin slid over Mabel's face, "Well, I can think of one person who would certainly notice." She took a deep breath and began to emulate her twin brother's high-pitched voice, " _My name's Dipper and my Wendy doesn't need any of that. I already think she's the most beau-ti-ful girl in the whole wide world!_ "

"Oh, man…" Wendy instantly covered her mouth to prevent any giggles from flowing out. Part of her felt guilty at laughing at her loyal admirer's expense. Her dimpled cheeks grew a bright red. "Don't do that…"

"What? It's true! You heard him say it." Mabel opened her arms, "But that's what I'm saying: if Dipper's like that with you right now, imagine him seeing you after leaving this here. I guarantee, you're looking at nosebleed-level, bare minimum!"

*HEH-HEH!* "Mabel…"

"Or he'll be so shocked, Dipper might just go into cardiac arrest!" The plucky pre-teen mockingly clutched her heart, and slapped her hands together with a loud smack. "BOOM! He hits the ground like a ton of bricks! You'll have to give him mouth-to-mouth…"

She stopped for a second, falling into deep deliberation, "On second thought, you can't do that. That's what _he'll be expecting_ you to do…"

"Mabes, *HAHA!* Quit it already!"

"Okay, okay," Mabel pledged. "I will." A great silence grew in the hallway as the girls continued to follow their guide into the next section of the spa. Growing uneasy by the complete quiet, Mabel started to whistle a simple tune. Within moments, the whistling became a louder humming. Such evolved into a song:

 _"Wen-dy and Dip-per, sit-tin' in a tree…"_

Wendy shot an annoyed stare down towards her joking friend, "Shush!"

 _"Mak-ing bab-ies happ-il-y_ – WHOA!"

The towering young adult gave the sing-songing tween a playful push towards a nearby decorative waterfall display, only to pull her back at the last moment. Mabel looked up sheepishly, "I'll stop now…"

"Good!"

The girls laughed amongst themselves about the lighthearted teasing, totally unaware that their stalker found such information to be extremely valuable.

"Hmm…interesting…" Lil' Gideon fiddled his fingertips together, "So, it appears that ol' Dipper Pines went and got himself _a little girlfriend…_ "

The spiteful boy remembered how Mabel's twin sibling thwarted all of his attempts to woo his slightly-older love; of how much easier his quest for affection would be much easier without Dipper's interference.

And now, the shoe was on the other foot. Not only did Gideon have a chance with some private time with Mabel, but the object of Dipper's affections had walked directly into his clutches! He had the opportunity to give the egghead boy detective a taste of his own medicine!"

"Hans! Klaus! Listen up! There's been a chance of plans!" Gideon narrowed his blue eyes towards the monitor displaying Wendy's image. "See to it that our unexpected guest is "well-taken care of." I repeat, Mabel is to remain unharmed, but I'm counting on you to properly secure our new bargaining chip…"

* * *

"And this, my fair ladies, is the mud bath…"

Wendy and Mabel walked past the host and examined the new room. A series of beige above ground bathtubs were mounted against the back wall. Small wooden tables were put next to each tub for an user's valuables and beverages. Numerous shelves holding extra white towels and sheets were placed across from the baths. Several types of fake greenery were stationed around the room to give it a more natural appearance.

While there were no electrical lights within the room, countless glass candles provided the perimeter with a gentle, dimming glow. A purgent aroma appeared to be pumped into the area via the several vents built into the walling.

As Mabel hurried to the leftmost tub, the copper-haired teen found herself with little to complain about.

"Well…at least it's not white…"

She followed suit after her charge and chose the slightly bigger frame right next to Mabel.

"So…what do we do now?"

"You hop in, silly!"

Without hesitation, Mabel let her robe fall off her shoulders and stepped out of her fuzzy slippers. She scaled the tiled wall and slid down into the bath. After taking a second to properly adjust herself, Mabel sprang up, her back firmly against the front edge, and her still-wrapped head settled on the neck-rest.

"Ahhh…" she sighed in relief.

Following Mabel's example, Wendy kicked her slippers off against the side of the bath. She untied the bindings of her robe, allowing it to slide to the ground. It crashed with a loud, echoing "THUNK!"

Mabel sat up, "What was that?"

"What was what?" Wendy avoided the question with an embarrassed tenor.

Mabel beaded her eyes at her friend, "…you smuggled your hatchet inside your robe, didn't you?"

"W-Why would you think that?"

"You totally did, didn't you?"

Wendy lifted a gangly leg into the tub, "So what if I did?"

"Why would you even need it? In case the plastic plants in the corner need trimming?"

"It's not – AAAHH!" Wendy let out a cry as her bare skin touched the cold inner surface of the bathtub. "It's not a big deal," she resumed. "I take it with me everywhere…" She snuggled back until her long neck matched up with the rest on the end of the base.

"Even to school?"

"Well," the lumberjack looked in Mabel's direction, "Maybe _not_ everywhere…"

"Ah, splendid! You two are all situated…" The two guides entered the room, each carrying a duffel bag full of supplies. Hans and Klaus stood beside each teen and enlightened them of what was going to happen next.

"In a minute, we will activate the stream that will pump a fresh batch of our special mud mixture into your respective tubs…"

Klaus continued where his co-worker left off, "From there, you girls will soak at shoulder-length until we are able to strip all of that nastiness from within your bodies…"

"Please do not be alarmed if you perspire more than usual," Hans warned. "I assure you, it is all part of the cleansing process."

The men simultaneously hit a red button on the panel built into the side of each pool. A gentle humming emitted from inside each of the structures. A creamy dark brown liquid started to pour from several open holes around the tub's framing.

"Ohh," Mabel exclaimed. "It's warm!"

"Yeah…kinda weird…" Wendy could feel the slimy texture coating the bottoms of her feet. She hoisted herself upwards by placing her arms on the edge of the bath. However, she remained unimpressed by the new experience.

"…could have played in the dirt back home…" she grumbled under her breath, remembering all of the messy fights she had with her three brothers in the woods surrounding her house.

"Ja," Klaus snuck up on Wendy, making her jump slightly in shock, "But our mixture is so much more than mud. We add in the blend of seaweed, volcanic ash, red clay, and high-quality mineral water..." He reached into his carrier and pulled out a handful of red and pink scraps. The employee sprinkled them into Wendy's bath, "…and lastly, preserved rose petals to give a special fragrance…"

"Oh, um, thanks?" Wendy wondered if the creepy male was making a snide comment towards her natural odor. She looked down to see that the flow was now past her knees. Her emerald eyes looked towards Mabel, who was already living it up fully in her element. A lighter-toned cocoa-colored substance came up to her navel.

"Hey, Klaus?" Wendy found herself confused. "Stupid question for ya, but how comes Mabel's mud a different color than mine?"

"Uh…" The male seemed caught off-guard by her query, "That…is…because…each lot is made fresh for each of the spa's guests. You wouldn't want to use someone else's leftovers, right?"

"'Course not…" Wendy agreed. "But aren't we the only people here anyways?"

"Let's just say," Hans interrupted. _"…that this batch is made especially for you, Fraudelin Corduroy…"_

Before Wendy had a chance to let his words sink in, he stretched his arm over and presented an open palm with two cucumber slices.

Wendy waved the offer away with her right hand, "No thanks, I'm not hungry."

"Wendy!" Mabel chastised from her bath. "They're not for eating, silly! They're for your eyes!"

"Really?"

The two men nodded in agreement, "It's true. They have a natural healing effect on the eye's skin."

Klaus began to list the numerous benefits to the treatment, "They help get rid of dark circles under the eyes, brings down water retention, reduce swelling and puffiness, and…"

"Alright, you made your sale…" Wendy plucked the vegetables from Hans's hand, and after a moment of deliberation, she placed a slice against each eyelid.

"Oh…wow…"

Despite her entire world going pitch black, a new, cool soothing sensation traveled from her eyes to the tips of her toes. Wendy sat further back and settled her long neck against the provided rest. By now, the mud solution had reached her chest. And as much as the stubborn teenager would hate to admit it, the treatment was starting to take its toll.

"There, now…" Wendy could feel one of the hosts adjusting her towel-turned-turban, so it wouldn't dip into the mud bath. "Doesn't that feel so much better?"

"Yeah…it really, really does…" She didn't have a reason to lie. The mixture was doing wonders for her aching and sore muscles. Just because Wendy wasn't truly active at work didn't mean that she didn't live a physically-active life. Between the rough-housing with her family and the supernatural adventures with the Pines, the redhead would feel strained at times. She lowered her arms into the mud, feeling them sucked into the goo in a vacuum like current.

The hot dirt gave the super-tall youngster the abnormal impression of being weightless; as if there was no longer any pressure found through her body. Now, shoulder deep in the muck, a gentle numbness flowed from Wendy's neck all the way down to her feet.

"It's like I'm having an out-of-body experience or something…"

"Fraulein Pines?" Wendy heard the clerk ask Mabel. "Would you like the headphones containing the most relaxing of instrumental music?"

"Yes, please!"

Wendy noticed footsteps heading in her direction, "And for you, Fraulein Corduroy?"

"Well – "

"Oh, give it to her already!" Mabel insisted. "Before she says otherwise!"

Before Wendy could argue against it, she could feel the foamy touch of headphones being placed against both her ears.

"Eh, watch out for my earrings…"

A serenade of mood-lifting music reverberated through her mind. Within seconds, the once-objective girl found herself at peace, body and soul. As if by hypnosis, Wendy found herself fading in and out of consciousness. And yet, she made no attempt to do otherwise.

 _"Maybe Mabel is right about all of this spa-stuff. I can't remember when I felt so relaxed…"_

As the melody continued on, Wendy instantly lost track of the time. How long had she been in that spot? Twenty minutes? Forty minutes? An hour or two? As Mabel had promised, the whole experience had been completely perfect…

…until something unexpected happened.

From out of nowhere, Wendy's button nose started to twitch wildly.

"Oh, man!" The auburn-haired female thought to herself, "My nose's getting itchy…" She debated for several moments, wondering if it was worth ruining her self-made zen to give her nose a well-needed scratch. As the feeling grew worse, Wendy gave into the infuriating feeling.

"...err…can't take it anymore…"

Wendy went to move her right hand towards her face, only to discover that it refused to obey.

"Huh?"

Baffled, Wendy tried again with her left arm, finding that it, too, couldn't move through the thick sludge completely surrounding her body.

"What in the heck – "

With a sense of panic forming in her chest, the redhead tried to make it back to her feet, learning that her lower limbs could barely sway from side to side. Wiggling her fingers or toes had the tightening pressure within force them back into their former position.

"Ugh!" Wendy groaned as she struggled to break free from the hold the mud had on her. Left without any other option, she called out for some kind of assistance.

"Hey! Mabel! German guys! Something's - Something's wrong! I think I'm stuck! I can't move at all!"

Several seconds had passed without any sort of human contact. Beads of sweat traveled down Wendy's forehead, although she wasn't sure if it was due to the heated slime or her rising nervousness.

"Mabel?! Can you hear me?!"

All Wendy could hear in response was the everlasting flute theme playing through the recording strapped to her head. It was then when she realized what was happening.

"…you can't, can you? Not while you're wearing those headphones. I'm lucky I can even hear me over this music. But why aren't those other guys answering either?"

Refusing to give up, Wendy continued to squirm in place, desperate to gain any form of slack. She attempted to thrust her head forward to try to get those blasted cucumbers off of her eyes. Even if it didn't necessarily help towards her freedom, regaining her vision would definitely help in the long run of things; she would be able to see what was occurring around her.

Instead, all of Wendy's fruitless thrashing resulted in an unexpected action – her body slipped even further into the mud bath.

"Wait! Wait! Oh no! No! No!"

The warm ooze was now at neck-level. Wendy had to hoist her head upwards to avoid having her chin dip into the smooth sludge.

"Crap! Crap! Crap!"

As more time passed, Wendy could feel the goop climb further up her neck. A realization of absolute horror was made more apparent:

 _"Those two idiots must have forgotten to shut off the pump!"_ The alarmed teen tilted her head back as much as she was allowed while reviewing her predicament, "This is so messed up! _Of all of the stupid things I've done in my life, I can't believe I'm going to go out by drowning in a freak accident at a spa!"_

Wendy shook her head, trying to clear her mind of all negativity. She hasn't ready to give into a muddy death without a fight. Once more, she tested her trapped limbs, finding that her shoulders were still held firmly in the mud. She pumped her legs back and forth like two propelling pistons. Nevertheless, the motion simply wasn't enough to escape the brown gelatin's grasp.

"Wait, what was that?"

Amidst her efforts, Wendy felt something hard and slender wrap around the big toe on her right foot, making a sliver of hope rise up in her heart.

"Is that… _it's the pull release for the tub's drain!"_

Not leaving a second to waste, the lumberjack princess clamped her foot down on the cord as tightly as she could and pulled back.

"C'mon…" Wendy moaned through gritted teeth. "Please!"

Slowly, but surely, she was started to make progress. Her right leg was moving through the muck inch by inch.

Suddenly, the chain began to slip between her toes, forcing Wendy to halt any progress.

"Careful…careful…" she coached herself while tightening her hold. "Gotta take it slower than that…"

Slow place wasn't an available option as the liquid came up to her lips, leaving her nostrils the only available source for air.

Wendy shortly came to an untimely conclusion: she only had enough time for one last tug – if she was to wait any longer, the mud would have covered her head completely.

Biting down on her lip, Wendy curled her toes around the line once more, and yanked back with all her might.

"Almost…there…"

She fought against the hold the mud had over her body, feeling that the flow had now reached her cheekbones."

*POP!*

A loud swooshing sound could be heard just outside the now-annoying melody strapped to Wendy's ears. In a flash, she could feel the muck climb down from her upper body. The layers of mud soon grew thinner. The cashier could sense cool air colliding against her still-mud-caked skin.

Her body was still in a sense of numbness from the overall experience. It felt like her entire frame had drifted to sleep. Wendy slid down the glossy surface of the liner, ending up flat on the tub's bottom. The locks of red hair escaped from its toweled hive, becoming matted in several clumps of sticky mud.

Wendy lied staring up at the ceiling, taking several deep breaths until the feeling started to return to her arms and legs. The heat was starting to finally leave her body. She immediately swiped away the cucumber slices and headphones away from her face, restoring both her sight and hearing.

"M-M-Mabel?"

The weary adolescent pulled herself up with a mud-stained hand. With her vision still a tad blurry, Wendy peered into the next bath to see that Mabel was no longer there. With her cucumber pieces and headphones carefully neatly placed on the table close at hand, there was only a small brown puddle in front of the structure. As her eyesight sharpened, Wendy noticed tiny wet footprints leading out of the room.

"Where – Where did she…"

Sitting on the edge of the tub, Wendy took her half-dirty towel and tried her best to clean off the remaining mud that had stuck to her. Her flannel-colored bikini was now a ruined brown. She reached over and threw on her discarded robe, choosing not to worry about her fuzzy slippers.

"Oof!"

As soon as she took a step towards the exit, Wendy's feet slid out from beneath her, making her come crashing down hard on one knee. The treatment had left her soles incredibly slick. With a grunt, the determined protector regained her balance and set off in search of her friend.

"Mabel?!"

Her heart was in her throat. None of this was making sense. Why would Mabel leave without letting her know? Wendy's thoughts soon focused on the two creepy attendants. What if they had something to do with her disappearance?

"Wait…" she tried to reason. "I'm getting into Dipper-territory here. I mean, what would these guys want with Mabel?"

As Wendy went on with her search, she soon found herself lost in what appeared to be a maze of white-colored hallways. The echoes of her bare feet slapping the hard ground accompanied the haunting song that seemed to follow her everywhere.

"Everything in this place looks the same! I can't tell where it begins or ends!"

"HAHAHA!"

The red-haired clerk skidded to a stop upon hearing a child's laughter. She followed the sound towards a close by door left slightly ajar. She stepped into the lavender-shaded room, only to be shocked by what she saw.

Mabel, still with hair in towel-bun, was positioned in a half-sitting state on an elevated padded lounge chair. Her small body was completed wrapped up tight in what seemed to be a thick green material of some sorts. Only her head and feet stuck out of the man made cocoon.

The guides, Hans and Klaus, sat on each side of her, chuckling alongside their captive guest.

In Wendy's weary eyes, it appeared that the pie-faced sprite was in anything but danger.

"What in the heck is going on here?!"

All three turned to see the mud-soaked teenager calling out towards them. The directors shot each other a surprised look while Mabel was the first to answer:

"Hey, there, sleepyhead! How was your bath?"

"…sleepyhead?"

"Yeah," Mabel nodded in response. "You looked so peaceful that the guys and I went ahead with the seaweed wrap." She wiggled her feet in demonstration, "I was going to check-up on you, but I had a while before I could get up. I'm like a little baby bug all snug in a rug!"

Wendy crossed her arms, "So I see…"

Hans stood up from his chair, "We did not mean to alarm you, but the Fraulein Pines was insistent on leaving you be."

Klaus followed up, "I hope we did not frighten you…"

"Frightened me?" Wendy yelled. "How about leaving me to drown in that slop in the other room?"

"What?" Mabel's face twisted in astonishment.

"It's true! I was like, two seconds away from biting the big one! Luckily, I was able to pull the plug out at the last second!"

Again, the workers shared a silent glance between themselves before addressing Wendy's accusations.

"That…can't be right…"

"All of our methods are perfectly safe." Hans stated with confidence in his voice.

"Well," Wendy pointed towards the direction she came. "See for yourself!"

Hans moved past Wendy, following the trail of muddy footprints she had accidentally left. Mabel hopped off her seat and began to leap to the exit. "Hang on! I'm coming, too!"

"Nein…nein…" Klaus gently halted her, "Let's get you undone first. We wouldn't need you to get yourself hurt…"

As the man started to unwrap Mabel from her seaweed insulation, Wendy chased behind on Hans's heels to the scene of the incident. Just before she made it back to the room, Wendy could hear the pitter-patter of her smaller friend coming up from behind.

The supervisor walked around the various splashes of mud and analyzed the tub where Wendy had bathed. He scooped his index finger into the remnants and bought the sample to his face. He sniffed the sample, and immediately turned his sights towards his partner.

Klaus followed Mabel into the room, his face pointed towards the ground as he loyally cleaned Wendy's tracks with a fresh towel.

"KLAUS!" Hans rushed towards the unsuspecting cleaner and began to angrily shout at him in German. Klaus stood up and returned the favor in the same foreign tongue, leaving both Wendy and Mabel unsure of what was happening at the moment.

After a moment of blaring back and forth, they moved in union towards Wendy. Hans clasped his hands together, "Fraulein Corduroy, we have made such a terrible mistake. For this, we must beg your forgiveness…"

Wendy remained on guard, "I'd say it was a little more than a "mistake." How could you guys leave the flow going like that?"

"I'm afraid you do not understand exactly," he continued. "It wasn't that the pumps were left on. They were closed when we left with Fraulein Pines. The problem is that the mixture used wasn't our spa's special mud blend as originally promised. Instead, you were accidentally given a high-concentrated _quicksand_ compound…"

"Whoa! Hang a sec!" Wendy made a time out motion with her hands. "How- How does one confuse mud with quicksand," she asked with a sense of disbelief in her voice. "And why would your company even use it in the first place?!"

Klaus pushed past his partner, "Perhaps I can try to explain – in the spa business, we – we get several unique requests depending on the needs of our most…peculiar guests."

"And such was the matter in this case," Hans jumped in. "How would one say this; many of our most…um… _rounder_ guests…"

"Buoyant, or more glandular." Klaus added.

"Yes, it is a special treatment for such people, but as for someone with a thinner and more fragile frame like yours…"

"It is like tossing them deep into a ravenous bog…"

"So it wasn't that the flow didn't shut off…" Wendy concluded.

"The sand was pulling you into the bottom to stay…"

The sobering realization struck Wendy like a ton of bricks. Granted, she had been in similar situations in her younger years, occasionally getting her boots trapped while playing in mud patches in the woods (where a getaway was easily made by abandoning her footwear and fleeing home in her stocking feet).

However, this was something of a totally different nature. The spirited girl escaped a literal death's grip by mere inches. And it was going to take more than a simple apology to make it right."

"To make up for the inconvenience," Hans offered an olive branch. "We shall give another unique treatment to your service today. Free of charge, of course!"

Wendy waved her hand, "That's okay. I think we're done for the day – "

Mabel latched onto her buddy's wrist. "Hold on!" She turned towards her new crushes. "Give us a sec?"

She pulled Wendy into the opposite corner of the room and whispered up to her, "What are you doing? You want to go home already? They're even tossing more free stuff at us!"

Wendy bent down so that she would remain out of earshot, "Sorry, Mabel, but that was way too close of a call. Besides, there's some weird about those guys. I don't really trust them…"

"Oh, come on!" Mabel complained. "Where's my Wendy that isn't afraid of anything and ready to jump in, feet first to any challenge out there?"

"I never said I was afraid! You know "Danger's" my middle name."

"I thought Dipper said it was Blerble…"

"WHAT?!" Wendy asked in outrage. "He told you that?!"

"…kinda…" Mabel had no intention on telling Wendy the truth; that she had seen the name "WENDY BLERBLE PINES" written (and promptly scratched out) in several of her brother's notebooks.

"Well, never mind that. I still think it's not a good idea to stick around here…"

"Please, Wendy?" Mabel pleaded. "I swear, if you say "yes," I promise I won't leave your side. That way, I'll make sure nothing bad happens…"

Wendy tried to look away from the beseeching brown eyes staring her down, only to see that the adults across the room gave off similar nervous glares, leaving the ginger to wonder if their jobs may be on the line.

With an overwhelming amount of pressure and guilt being placed on her shoulders, Wendy finally caved in.

"…Yeah…okay, then."

"YES!" Mabel jumped for joy. She pointed towards Hans and Klaus. "Fellas, the pampering is back on! Lead the way to our next step!"

"Of course. Follow us please…" The men headed towards the exit, preparing to lead the girls to their new promised event.

"Let's go, Wendy!" Mabel hauled the doubtful youth along for the ride.

"I'm coming! I'm coming!"

Before being jerked out of the room, Wendy took one last look at the structure that had previously held her prisoner, wondering if she had made the right choice by agreeing to another one of Mabel's whims…


	3. Chapter 3

_Special thanks to SuperGroverAway for helping with designing the "perils" in this story..._

* * *

"There, now…don't we feel so much better?"

"I…guess…" Wendy took another gulp from her glass of water with lemon, leaving it spotless. She handed it back to Hans before wiping her mouth dry with her forearm.

Just as Mabel and Wendy were led to their "bonus" treatment, the two attendants insisted on returning the weary redhead back to the shower room in order to remove the rest of the hot mud that clung to her lanky body. Once she was cleaned, Wendy was given a new robe (where she was able to smuggle her hatchet again while no one was looking) and encouraged to drink glass after glass of water to fight dehydration.

Hans set the empty glass and pitcher down on a stand outside in the hallway as his partner came hurrying towards the group. "Sorry for the wait, but we are ready for you now…" The two European guides walked in conjunction, prompting their guests to follow.

"To make up for all of the…unpleasantness…" Klaus mumbled with his back turned towards the girls. "We have upgraded your session as promised."

"Originally," Hans elucidated. "The standard manicure and pedicure was to be included as your contest winnings…"

Upon hearing the "P-word," Wendy let out a shudder that traveled down her spine. The mere thought of another person touching her feet made the teen want to jump out of her skin. Her mind instantly traveled back to the last time such an instance occurred…

It was a few weeks earlier, when Wendy had landed a cushy position as a lifeguard at the Gravity Falls Pool. Upon hearing the news, Dipper had asked to be her junior guard; something Wendy immediately agreed to.

A few days in, the duo were seated in Wendy's elevated lifeguard chair, laughing and playing pranks on the hapless townspeople that were unfortunate enough to cross their path. Dipper leaned back on his side and noticed that his crush was sitting on her left leg, leaving a bare sole exposed.

Feeling extra mischievous, a smirk spread his face as he dragged a fingernail down her foot…

"Wen-dy! Coochie-coochie -"

"GASP!"

…only to receive an involuntary roundhouse kick that sent the unsuspecting boy flying from his seat, into the deep end of the pool.

*CRASH!*

"Oh, man!" Wendy immediately rose to her feet and dove to the rescue after her still-stunned friend.

She shook the memory from her head as the man continued on, "…instead, you will be upgraded to the world-famous fish pedicure process!"

"Oooh!" Mabel marveled in disbelief. She lightheartedly nudged her chaperone with her elbow, "You totally called it back at the Shack."

"Yeah…lucky me…" The quivers returned without warning. It was bad enough that people like Dipper or her younger brothers would mess with her, but now, she was expected to have these strange fish nibble away at her sensitive peds.

"You ladies are so lucky!" Klaus went on. "It is not often when such a delicate treat is available in these parts…"

"Ja. It may sound odd at first, but the experience is unlike anything you had ever had before.

"Actually…" Wendy spoke up at last, "I _have_ had something like this happen before…"

All eyes were instantly focused on her. Mabel looked up mystified, while the men each peered over their shoulders at the unusual lumberjack.

"I was bitten by a small barracuda when I was younger," Wendy narrated. "It happened when my dad and I were hand-fishing in a stream pass my house when this thing came out of nowhere! I dunno how it got there; maybe it swam upstream somehow, but once it got a hold of me, it took all of my dad's strength to pry it off. Man, I tell ya – with the chunk it ripped outta me, I was swearing like a son of a – "

Wendy stopped as she noticed that all three listeners were shooting her wide-eyed stares, making the ginger stop in embarrassment.

"Err…on second thought, never mind…"

* * *

"Here we are, ladies!"

Mabel and Wendy walked past the conductor and examined their new surroundings.

"Amazing…" the small brunette whispered as her brown eyes circled the room.

"It's…not too shabby…" Despite her best efforts, Wendy found herself unable to come up with a valid complaint.

The sky-blue colored room contained a large, see-though water tank in its center. Several thick tubes were protruding from the sides of the giant pool into the smooth floor. A finely-finished wooden stairway led up to the top, where a circular, padded seating area enclosed the top of the container. Next to the flight of steps, a metal control panel protruded from the sealed ground, containing a number of unmarked buttons and levers.

As with the last room, a collection of fake potted plants surrounded each corner, with numerous chairs set in between for those waiting their turn. A curved skylight illuminated the area in lieu of having actual windows in the walls. In their place, extravagant Asian wall scrolls stretched down from the ceiling.

Growing curious, Wendy walked around the tub and stared into its insides. She could spot countless thickets of seaweed and other types of greenery growing from the rocky-covered bottom.

"Aha…" she thought. "Aiming towards that "au natural look," eh?"

Meanwhile, Mabel flew up the staircase and called out, "C'mon, Wendy! They're about to start!"

"Yeah, yeah…"

Unlike her shorten charge, Wendy simply used the gift of her extra height to climb up on the upper platform. Kicking off her slippers, the teenager gazed into the bottom while walking along the narrow ledge as a hint of hesitation crept across her freckled face.

"Well…?"

Wendy turned towards Mabel, "Well, what?"

"Aren't you going to go in?"

"Of course I am!" Despite the strong front she presented, the troubling thought of hundreds of tiny creatures invading her personal space sent goosebumps up the backside of her body. She dipped a toe into the brink and swiftly drew back.

"…after you test the waters for me. After all, you're the one that wanted to do this, right?"

"Oh, for Pete's sake!" Mabel stood up from her seat, and looked around for her two new crushes. Fortunately, neither was in the room at the moment; probably off making final preparations for the treatment.

Having an innocent look on her dimpled visage, the girl pointed in front of her companion in hopes of distracting her for a split second, "Hey, what's that?"

Wendy's emerald eyes followed the stubby hand, "What's what?"

With her free hand, Mabel gave the high-schooler a gentle push towards the water.

"SORRYWENDYPLEASEDON'TBEMAD!"

"Wha – "

*SPLASH!*

"MABEL!"

The fifteen-year-old was now thigh-deep in the tank; her feet touching the stones on the bottom as the floating seaweed swirled around her legs. The coattails of her robe were now soaking wet, making Wendy fling the wet piece of clothing on the walkway.

"See? It's not that bad, is it?"

Wendy looked back at Mabel, who had started to ease herself into the tank. The pixie gave her pal a cheery, guiltless braced smile has she happily kicked her legs in the water.

"Not really…" the copper-haired girl returned the grin as she snatched Mabel by the ankle, "But then again, you could really use a closer look…"

Mabel pulled her arms back and dug her nails into her seat, "Oh, nope-nope-nope! Not going anywhere!"

The girls laughed loudly until their game of tug-of-war was interrupted:

"So, you two have made yourselves comfy?"

Hans and Klaus entered the fish spa, each carrying two bagfuls of supplies.

"Yep!" Mabel sat back on her seat, her little feet still dangling into the water.

"Just…about…" Wendy pushed off against the ledge and onto the chair closest to Mabel's.

"Splendid!" Klaus used the miniature staircase to make to the top of the fish tank. He rang his hands together as he addressed the contest winners. "Forgive me if I sound ignorant, but is it fair to say that neither of you ladies have ever partaken in this process before?"

Both Wendy and Mabel shook their heads.

"Alright, then," he continued. "In a moment, Hans will activate the panel releasing hundreds of tiny fish that we call "garra rufa" into your tank. These creatures thrive on devouring decaying skin; in this case, the dead cells on your feet. I must warn you that at first, the sensation is quite unsettling, but once your body becomes used to the feeling, it becomes ever-so-delightful."

"…hope so…" Wendy silently wished.

Mabel raised her hand, "Quick question for you, big guy. What happens to all of the fishies when we're done with them?"

"Hey, yeah?" Wendy added. "You guys don't re-use them or anything like that?" The possible unsanitary conditions made her consider pulling her legs back out of the water.

"Nein! By no means! The waters are cycled through a powerful filtration system after every use. I'm sure you've seen those tubes on the side of the tank? And for your fish friends…" He motioned towards a design on the opposite end of the spa. "Do you see those circles on the wall over there?"

Mabel nodded in response.

"Each of those three represents the current state of the tank. When the left circle turns yellow, it means that it is in the preparation stage." As soon as the assistant finished his sentence, the left-most light gave off a golden shine.

*BING!*

"There we are," he went on. "Soon, the middle one will turn green and the garra rufa will be released into the waters." With that, the worker took his leave back down the stairs.

"And what's the last one do?"

"Oh, that?" Klaus gave one last explanation, "When the right button turns red, the tank will be cleansed so that it will be suitable for our next guest.

*BING!*

"And there we are, ladies! Have fun!"

The green sphere flashed and the tubing below their seats shortly activated. Small ports within the pool opened, releasing a barrage of blue and green life forms that raced towards the two pairs of bare feet dangling from the deck.

"Here they come!"

"Mabel, maybe we shouldn't do – AHH!"

"HEHEHEHEH!"

"BWAHAHAHA!"

The mindless fish matched the thrashing peds move for move, relentlessly nibbling under their heels, in between their toes, and against their arches.

"Oh-oh-oh!" Mabel cried out, flailing her hands around as if she was trying to fly away from the torment. "It tickles! It tickles so much!"

She glanced over at Wendy, who remained too quiet for her good. Her face, now a blushed red, was t scrunched up tightly, save for some random snickers that escaped past her curdled lips.

"You're…hehe…you're tellin' me, kiddo!"

From her purposely squinted vision, Wendy spotted Mabel offering an open hand. She took hold with each girl squeezing as hard as they could.

"This is way, way worse than I thought!" The lumberjack princess lamented. "It's like there's a million little Dippers down there going to town!"

After a few minutes, the associate's word came to fruition. Mabel and Wendy sighed in relief as the ticklish feeling morphed into that of shifting pins and needles. Sinking back into their padded seats, the adolescents let out a relaxed moan, becoming mesmerized by the now-gentle vibrations.

"Ah!" Hans traveled up the stairs to check up on his clients. "You two look at peace. I believe you are enjoying this, ja?"

"Yeeesssssssss…" Wendy hissed pleasantly, zoning in and out of a peaceful zen.

Mabel chimed in, "It feels like my legs have fallen off and are floating at the bottom of the pool!"

"Ja, they will do that," Hans said. "When you are finished here, your feet will feel softer, lighter, and refreshed…"

"And after that, what happens?"

"For you, our dear Fraulein Pines, we have the nail filing and painting all set up…"

"Oh-ho-ho! Nice!" Upon hearing the news, Mabel jumped back off of the pool and grabbed her robe from behind her seat. The fishes wandered aimlessly until they joined up with the bunch at Wendy's feet. She tied her belt and called out to her snoozing comrade, "You coming, Wen-Wen?"

"Huh?!" Wendy opened her eyes to see Mabel following Hans back down the stairs. She waved her hand downwards, "Actually, you…go on ahead…" She leaned back further into her chair. "I think I'm good here…"

"Oh, okay. Suit yourself."

Wendy tilted her head back and closed her eyes, forcing out all other outside distractions. For the first time since the mud bath incident, her nerves were finally starting to settle…

"BING!*

She looked ahead to see that the last light on the right had turned a bright red. Wendy grumbled, remembering what the caretaker that told her earlier, "I guess that means my turn's over with…"

The teen went to stand up, finding that her legs refused to obey.

"Huh?" Wendy tugged on each limb, only to have them yanked back into position. "What gives?"

While she was able to move from side to side, something prevented her from lifting her feet from the pool. It felt like two heavy hands that taken siege of her ankles and refused to let her go.

The entrapped impression from earlier started to return. Wendy tried to peer into the blue water to see what had taken a hold of her feet, seeing that the horde of minuscule fish blocked her sight.

"Come on! Come on!" Wendy attempted to splash a path with her arm. "Move it!"

She froze up as the machinery below her activated once again. Wendy recalled what that Hans guy had said – that they clean the pool after every use.

"But how exactly?"

The vents on the far end of the pool opened for a second time. By impulse, the swarm clouding around Wendy's legs vanished, hurrying to the other side of the tank almost like _they were afraid of what was coming next._

With her line of sight cleared, Wendy looked downwards into the depths to see what held her prisoner.

"You've got to be kidding me!"

Both of Wendy's feet had become entangled in the collection of kelp trailing from the pool's bottom. In between her wiggling in ticklish agony and simply kicking her legs in boredom, the thick seaweeds had formed knots around her ankles, effectively binding her to the rocky floor.

"I can't… *ugh!* believe this!" Despite her near-Amazonian strength, Wendy wasn't able to tear the solid plants away from her feet. The more she struggled, the more tied up she became within the reeds.

"There's gotta be –"

*BLURB! BLURB!*

Wendy stopped her escape attempt as she noticed something particular occurring on the far end of the tank. A series of rapid bubbles rose up to the surface of the water. A split second later, the number of air pockets quadrupled, only to get bigger and bigger.

The trapped cashier came to a realization: she could no longer see the horde of fish that recently made a meal of her callused soles.

And then, she spotted one new creature. And then another. Tiny black streaks raced around the back half of the pool chasing after the blue and green colored remnants. As more time passed, only the black clouds remained.

Wendy's emerald eyes widened as she helplessly watched the numerous acts of cat and mouse – predator and prey play out over and over again.

"It's *GULP!* _piranhas_! They use flippin' piranhas to get rid of the excess fish!"

The real question facing her now was what was to happen once all of the pedicure fish had been devoured? She gazed back down into the water, seeing her eight digits wrapped amongst the greenery, and figured that they were next on the predators' menu.

"I gotta get loose! And fast!"

Wendy gave each leg one last yank, confirming that the seaweed had no intention of releasing her feet so easily. She didn't want to chance diving further into the tank, not wanting to risk being snagged deeper into the messy weeds. The redhead figured that calling out for Mabel and the aides was useless; with her luck, they were probably on the other side of the building by now, well out of earshot.

She looked back up to see that the trail of violent bubbles was getting closer.

"There's just has to be a way…"

Wendy paused as she spotted the key to her survival. A few feet away, her discarded robe dangled on the ledge of the tank just past the staircase…

…the same robe containing her trusty, yet smuggled-in hatchet!

"YES!"

Dropping down from her seat into the narrow ledge, Wendy started to scoot towards her goal until she felt the lines around her ankles grow taut. She griped the back of the tank to keep her balance. Wendy stretched towards her robe with her left hand, missing the fluffy garment by mere inches. She strained further and further, her face twitching as the nature-based ropes dug deeper into each foot.

"Almost…there…"

With her last swipe, Wendy's eyes became saucers as she watched the momentum sway the hanging robe. It was about to fall off of the ledge.

"Oh, no – no - no!"

Her last chance at escape would soon be out of her reach. Using all of her strength, Wendy made a grab towards the falling article. With luck on her side, she was able to snag the end of the robe's belt by her fingertips.

*PHEW!*

Collecting her nerves, Wendy slowly pulled the belt towards her, dragging the oversized piece of clothing bit by bit. She feared if she rushed it, there would be a chance that her hatchet would slip from its hiding place, making her getaway impossible.

The robe now within range, Wendy pulled it into her lap and opened it up. The tip of her weapon reflected the natural light coming from overhead. She drew the hatchet from its resting place, allowing the white covering to go over the edge of the pool.

She noticed that the bubbles were starting to become less frequent. The piranhas were finishing their meal. It would only be a matter of time before they noticed her.

Wendy bent over as far as she could and slid her hatchet into the water. Grabbing into her left leg with her free hand, she used the razor-sharp tip of the blade to slice away at the seaweed holding her captive. A second later, she noticed that her left leg could move freely. Wendy instantly pulled it out of the water and rested it behind her.

In response, the kelp seemed to tighten its hold on her right foot. Wendy gave it another thrust, hoping that the added weight and momentum would allow for an easier break. Unfortunately, every jerk was defeated by the heavy clumps anchored to the pool's flooring.

Wendy could hear the bubbling growing closer. She gasped as the vicious swarm was heading her way.

With seconds left, Wendy slid the hatchet back into the water and rubbed the point against the remaining weeds. She watched as the severed pieces floated down to the rocky floor.

"C'mon…" Beads of sweat traveled down her freckled forehead. "C'mon!" Time was running out!

At long last, the hatchet released the final strand from her foot. Wendy jumped up onto her seat, both legs now safe from the black fish's flesh-cravings. She watched as the flock rammed against her side of the pool, and upon finding their meal gone, they split and swam back around the circular structure.

Wendy took breath after breath. She couldn't get her heart back down her throat. As a precaution, she pulled her knees up to her chest and double-checked to make sure she escaped unscathed.

"Let's see, let's see…one, two, three, four…alright…" Wendy examined her other foot. "Five, six, seven, eight…" She wiped the sweat from her brow, "Good…awesome…all eight accounted for."

Wendy watched the piranhas explore their new confides as she attempted to gather her thoughts. _"What kind of messed-up place is this? Killer quicksand? Piranhas in the water filters? It's more like a haunted house than a spa!"_

Her fear was swiftly replaced by anger. The next objective was made clear – she needed to find Mabel and get out of this madhouse.

Wendy reclaimed her robe and slippers. She exited the room, finding herself lost again in the maze of white hallways. Despite the stressful obstacle placed before her, Wendy kept her cool. She traveled the passage, poking her head into each room until she would find her companion.

"Sooner or later, I'll bump into her," Wendy noted. "All I have to do is listen, and follow the sound…"

Sure enough, the further Wendy went into the hallway, the more she could make out Mabel's instinctive voice. Tracking the tone led her to a nearby room. Wendy walked into the opened doorway, finding Mabel seated once again between the two adoring hosts.

Still donning her robe, Mabel was placed in a small chair with her hands placed on the sides. Her bare feet were rested on a small mount in front of the seat. Hans stood at her left, carefully painting all of the nails on her left hand a light pink shade. Klaus knelt at her knee-height, applying the same to each of her toes.

They all laughed as Mabel continued her story, "…and so I says to Grenda and Candy, "You girls are cray-cray!""

The hilarity and mirth grew louder as Wendy stormed into the room.

"Hey, there, lady!" Mabel welcomed her chaperone. "How did you like – " She trailed off after seeing the serious expression plastered on Wendy's face. "What – What's the matter?"

Wendy walked past the men and grabbed Mabel by the wrist, "I hate to do this to ya, munchkin, but we got to go. Like right now!"

"What?!"

Mabel was pulled to her feet. She tried to pry herself free from Wendy's grasp, "But – But – "

Klaus stood back up, "But she hasn't finished her treatments yet!"

"Thanks, but no thanks, guys!" Wendy declined for her friend.

"Wendy – " Mabel dug her heels into the tiled floor until she was able to break free. "Wendy, hang on a sec – _please_!" She pulled her arm away, "Just what is wrong with you?"

The ginger spun around, "Listen, Mabel. This may sound crazy, but something is definitely wrong here! I mean, the "uh-oh" with the quicksand was one thing, but having piranhas in the fish pedicure? These guys are super messed up!"

The two men took offense by Wendy's claim.

"Piranhas?! In our tank?!"

"That's absurd!"

Wendy placed her hands on her hips and lurched forward, "Are you two weirdos calling me a liar?!"

"Whoa! Whoa!" Mabel rushed in between the two groups and used her arms to separate them. She lifted her head towards the tall lumberjack, "And you know I believe you, Wendy, but are you sure about this?"

"Sure I'm sure!" Wendy insisted. "The red light turned on and all these black fish were released into the pool. They swooped in and made mince-meat of those other guys!"

Mabel covered her mouth with both hands and gasped. The two caretakers looked at each other with a apologetic appearance.

"Ohhh…"

The pint-sized pixie spun around to face her assistants, "…What?"

Hans lowered himself to Mabel's level, "There is…some truth in your friend's words…"

"Perhaps," Klaus offered, "It would be easier to show you…"

The twosome took their leave, escorting Mabel back the way they came. Wendy stood alone in the room, dumbfounded by what had just happened.

"Mabel! Mabel! Wait a second!"

* * *

The three entered the fish pedicure room (with Wendy following behind on their heels). Hans slowly walked up to the tank. Wendy could see that the black school still swirled around in their new habitat. Without any warning, he threw his arm over the ledge and deep into the water.

"Dude!" Wendy cried out. "Are you insane?! Don't – "

The man flinched slightly before removing his arm. Cupping his palm, he walked to Mabel and got down on one knee. He opened his hand, revealing a tiny black fish squirming around in some water residue.

"That's it!" Wendy pointed out. "That's the little creep that could have cost me a toe!"

"Actually," Hans began. "That would be impossible." He met Mabel's brown eyes, "This is what we in the spa business call a "chin-chin." Very similar to the "garra rufa," except for one key difference…"

He used his thumb to press against the lips of the fish, revealing row after row of sharpened teeth.

"Such teeth are too weak to seriously wound a human being…" He displayed a tiny cut on his thumb. "But to something its own size…the truth of the matter is, Fraulein Pines, is that this _is_ how we clean up after the little fishies. The chin-chins and garra rufas are natural enemies. A confrontation usually results in elimination of the latter."

Klaus added his two cents, "Afterwards, the chin-chins are pumped out of the pool, where they live out the rest of their life spans."

"The chin-chin expires shortly once they have had a meal…"

Hans placed a gentle hand against Mabel's chin, "We are so very sorry for the deception…" He then took a long hard stare straight at Wendy, "…but we simply meant not to offend your delicate sensitivities…"

"That doesn't mean anything!" Wendy snapped back. "If anything, why would you have those things out while a person is in that tank?"

"But…we didn't!"

"The red button went on and let those things loose!"

Klaus asked the angered redhead, "Why didn't you just pull your legs out?"

"What?!"

"I said, when the red light came on, and you seen the chin-chins entering the water, why didn't you come down and tell us what had happened?"

Wendy stopped for a moment, as a sense of awkwardness overcame her.

"I tried to leave," she looked down at the ground, "But my feet got caught up in a seaweed patch…"

The adults balked in disbelief at the girl before them.

"How…how does one do such a thing?"

Hans took a step towards Wendy as he raised his voice, "Did you try to swim around in the vat? This place is not made for horseplay!"

Being challenged, the teen found herself ready to fight back, "Hey, I didn't – "

"Actually, Hans…" Mabel spoke with a hint of regret in her voice, "It's – It's my fault. I'm the one who got Wendy stuck." The pre-teen played with her fingers in a nervous fashion. "She was afraid to dip her legs into the pool – "

"I wasn't afraid!"

"Were so! Anyways, I may have pushed Wendy into the water and she reached the bottom. That's probably how all the bad stuff happened…"

Wendy's mouth dropped at Mabel's admission. Amiss her resentment and blind rage, she had completely forgotten about that tiny detail. She hated to admit it, but it did manage to explain a lot of her misfortune.

"…so if you guys want to be mad at somebody, be mad at me…"

The lanky young adult placed a calming hand on Mabel's shoulder, "Kid, you know I couldn't be mad with you if I tried. Besides, it wasn't your fault. It was just an accident; there's no way you could have guessed that was gonna happen."

"R-Really?"

Wendy shook her head.

"Does that mean we can still stay the rest of the day?"

Wendy stood back up and threw her arm across her chest, "Absolutely not! All the other stuff, Mabel: the quicksand, the biting fish; now _that_ was their fault! What's next? Are they going to lock me into a tanning booth and cook me like a rotisserie chicken?" She raised a hand to her forehead, "You know, I'm starting to think that Dipper was right about – "

"I KNEW IT!" Mabel now had the ammunition to argue back. "Dipper and his worry-wart-ism got into your head, hasn't it?"

"N-No…" Wendy tried her best to watch her tongue, lest let Mabel in on the terms of her accompanying her in the first place.

"Yes, it has! It's making you think that there's a boogeyman waiting for you around every corner!"

"Well, Mabel," Wendy placed her hands in the pockets of her robe. "Did it ever occur to you that Dipper _is usually right_ about these kinds of things?"

"Perhaps," Mabel coughed up. "But then again, if we all were to live like Dipper, we'd never have any fun! We'd just sit in a room reading ghost stories day in and out, save for the occasional monster hunt."

"That's not true! Dip and I do tons of cool stuff that – "

"Admit it, Wendy." Mabel crossed her arms, seeing that the irritated cashier was playing right into her hands. "Hanging out with my dork of a twin brother has made you… _soft_."

"WHAT?! YOU'RE CALLING ME "SOFT?!"

"Yep! I thought you were a warrior princess from Venus that could take on the world! And here you are, Dipper's fellow bookworm in training…"

"I'm not – " Wendy pointed at the two men watching the girls argue from a safe space. "I can take anything those guys could toss at me!"

Mabel gently slapped her friend's shoulder, "Well, you got me there, champ…" She plodded back towards the hosts, "I think we're ready to go again, if you'll have us…"

Hans and Klaus shared a glance and gave their answer:

"Of course, Fraulein Pines…"

"Anything for one as sweet as you…"

Wendy turned white. How was it that she was being outdone by someone that still believed in the Tooth Fairy?

"Now, hold on!" She stormed towards Mabel, "I never said – "

"Tell you what, Wendy," the little tween promised. "Give me one last chance to find something that you'll like, and if we can't, I swear we'll leave."

"Mabel, I – "

"Oh, I'm sure I can turn your perspective around one-hundred-and eighty degrees if given the chance…" She motioned towards Hans, "Do you guys have a list of the other activities here?"

"Certainly…" He reached into his back pocket and gave Mabel his diagram. She sped through the registry at lightning speed, "No, no, no, that's too hot, that's too cold…" Her soft eyes grew as she spotted the perfect subject.

"There!" She highlighted the activity and presented it to her crushes. "We wanna do that one!"

"Excellent! We shall make the proper arrangements…"

"Great!"

The three walked back to the exit as a still-stunned Wendy remained behind. She raced to the doorway. "Mabel, wait!" .

Wendy watched as her responsibility ignored her, continuing on the way towards the main lobby. Shaking her head in dismay, the defeated teenager could do nothing but reluctantly tag along at a distance, remembering the pledge she had made to Dipper…


	4. Chapter 4

"How'd I end up in this mess again?"

A loud growl stemming from the pit of Wendy's stomach quickly reminded her.

"Oh, yeah… _that's how_ …"

Lured in by the almost-irresistible temptation of pepperoni and anchovy pizza, the lumberjack princess had been tasked in keeping a careful eye on Mabel, the bubbly and lovable metal-mouthed Pines twin during an all-expenses paid spa trip in downtown Gravity Falls.

At first, the fifteen-year-old thought nothing of the venture. Wendy figured that she would be forced to sit though boring facials and sipping horrid rejuvenating elixirs – all things that she deemed to be far too _girly_ for her tastes to the point that it was almost insulting.

As of the current moment, however, Wendy's " _treatment"_ had been anything but…

Between nearly drowning in a mud bath filled with sinking quicksand and almost having her toes bitten off while trapped in twisted seaweed, the experience ironically added to the amount of stress she carried, yet alone melted it away.

Even now, Wendy found herself being dragged down the hallway as Mabel happily clutched her hand, promising the anxious redhead the world:

"Yep! We're almost here! And if this doesn't do the trick for you, Wendy, then nothing will!"

 _"How is it that she can't see what's going on here?"_ Wendy thought. The two guides, Hans and Klaus, turned around and looked down at their little admirer with a sweetened smile as they continued to lead the way.

 _"On second thought…"_

They changed perspective and raised their sights. Both men met Wendy's emerald eyes, offering a chilling leer before returning to their original stances. A chill traveled from the back of her head to the bottoms of her heels.

Wendy knew that despite Mabel's best efforts, it would be an understatement to say that the opposite sex was definitely able to sway her current train of thoughts. She compared the two Pines twins; while Dipper occasionally would let his semi-hidden devotion for her slip, he wasn't afraid to speak up when he felt like something was wrong.

As Wendy glanced at the mirrored hallway paneling on her left, she recalled Dipper's warning from the other day:

 _"I know you think I'm being over-protective, but trust me when I say that Mabel can definitely be more than a handful. She has a knack for getting herself into deep trouble, especially when she has her mind dead set on something…"_

The more time passed, the more Wendy started to understand her friend's meaning. There had been other instances like this in the past – when Mabel insisted on using the Blind Eye Society's Memory-Eraser gun or the time she tried to remake her Grunkle Stan to aid in winning the heart of the local hostess, Lazy Susan. However, such things never included having fatal consequences.

Wendy studied the reflection looking back at her and noticed the dramatic change in her appearance. Her long, straighten copper hair was now tangled and puffy. Her freckled cheeks were red and blushed. Her forehead was dripping with sweat. She couldn't rid her nostrils of the chlorine-like odor from the fish tank. If anything, it seemed like the girl had returned from the warzone, yet alone a day spa.

Worse of all, nerve-ridden lines had begun to appear under Wendy's green eyes. She traced the indents with her fingertips over and over again in disbelief.

It was then when Wendy came to a horrific realization: _"They're just like the ones under Dipper's!"_

She gazed down at the carefree tween in front of her, who sang and hummed merrily on the way towards their next appointment, before returning to the mirror.

 _"What if – what if Dipper didn't get these because of all that paranormal business? What if it was because of always having to watch over Mabel?"_

Wendy ran her index finger through the wrinkles again. If this was happened with only a few hours, she would hate to see the full damage caused by twelve years worth of misfortune and calamity.

"Aannnddd…we're here!"

With her pal's mind elsewhere, Mabel yanked Wendy into the open doorway, nearly pulling her out of her white fuzzy slippers. Wendy glance ahead to find that she was now standing in a simple mocha-colored room. Surrounded by stripped wooden paneling on each of the four walls, the closest to her featured a small crevice filled with lit scented candles.

In the center of the room, a sturdy, long designer table stretched towards the farthest wall. A firm, white padding lied on top of the oak frame. Roller wheels were placed on the end of each peg. Fresh towels were neatly draped over an elevated headrest. A mini-waiting area on the right side consisted of three posture-reinforcing chairs seated next to a bamboo plant in the rear corner.

"What…is all this?"

"Your surprise!" Mabel insisted. "You seemed super-tense, so the guys and I figured that a nice, long massage would do wonders for you! It's just the thing to get rid of those "Dipper-jeebes!""

To Mabel's surprise, Wendy started to back away from the lounge, "You're nuts!" She swiped her arms in conjunction, "There's no way I'm hopping on that thing to get rubbed down by those two!"

As their annoyed hosts gave the ranting redhead a nasty look from well out of eye-shot, Mabel tried her best to reason with her escort. "No offense, Wen-Wen, but what do you expect?" She tossed her robed arms in the air. "It's not like they can press a button and magic robot hands will shoot out from nowhere and do it for them!"

"At this point," Wendy grumbled under her breath as she crossed her arms across her chest, "It wouldn't surprise me if it did…"

Mabel took a palm and threw it against her forehead in frustration. Trying to assist their guest, Hans and Klaus stepped forward. "It is alright, Fraulein Pines." Klaus insisted. "This session is not for everyone…"

"Ja, it is true." Hans added. "It is for the best not to push the Fraulein Corduroy, especially if she is frightened – "

"Hey!" Wendy turned around and pointed in the guide's face, "I said it before, and I'll say it again: I am not afraid of you or anything at this place!" She shrunk back down as a sheepish look spread across her face. "I just…" Wendy rubbed her arm as she finished, "Having a stranger actually touch me sounds…weird…"

"Pshh!" Mabel swiped away the bashful confession. "It's nothing to be worried about!" Without a hint of hesitation, the pint-sized pixie untied the belt on Wendy's robe. She carefully pulled the shoulders of the garment, as Wendy let the dressing gown (and hidden weapon) slip into the ground. Leading her friend to the massage table by hand, Mabel leapt feet-first onto the smooth surface. She took a seat and flashed a braced smile, padding the space next to her. "C'mon…" Mabel sang in an alluring key.

*SIGH*

Wendy rolled her eyes and walked over to the bed, sitting down next to Mabel.

"Okay, now what…?"

Mabel jumped off the table and spun around towards Wendy. She grasped the teenager's ankles in her tiny hands and tugged the rest of her lengthy body onto the counter. Running towards the foot of the table, Mabel snatched the slippers off of Wendy's feet, making them curl in ticklish response.

"We won't be needing these for a while!" She let the shoes drop from her hands into the hard floor.

Taking the towels from the headset, Mabel placed a white sheet over the cold surface of the table. Very gently, she lowered Wendy into a laying position in spite of some resistance.

"Mabel, I don' t –"

"Shhhh…everything's going to be fine. You'll see…"

Now, on her stomach, Wendy looked ahead as Mabel set the remaining towel over her bikinied body, protecting everything except her head and bare feet from the elements.

"There! Nice and comfy!"

However, Wendy's focus remained solely on the two attendants. Hans and Klaus constantly switched their views between the two girls before looking back at one another.

 _"It's like…they're studying us,"_ the ginger noted as Mabel continued to tuck her blanket in. _"They're watching our every move – our every reaction…"_ Wendy wasn't blind to the events of the afternoon; of how these "incidents" would only happen when Mabel was lured away by the duo, leaving her alone to deal with catastrophe after catastrophe.

 _"The weirdest thing…"_ Wendy thought to herself, _"… is that they're only after me. They worship the ground Mabel walks on. But why me though? What'd I do to tick them off so badly?"_

"She's all yours!" Mabel was now standing in front of both employees, presenting with both hands, her co-worker on a silver platter.

The men strolled towards Wendy, each cracking their knuckles as loudly as they could.

 _"But it doesn't make sense! It can't be something against me. I mean, these jerks didn't even know I was coming with Mabel until I walked in the door. But I just know something's not right here…"_

Mabel stood in front of the massage table, giving Wendy a double thumbs-up as each masseur took a side at the table.

 _"As long as Mabes believes that they're good guys, it's not gonna be easy to convince her otherwise…"_ Wendy knew from her experience with her brothers that it would be a fool's errand to juggle dealing with a stubborn child amiss a dangerous situation. She would have to wait for those two to slip up, and then prove her point. It would be no different from mystery-solving with Dipper or going on an all-day hunt with her dad – _patience was the key –_ maintaining her natural cool until the suspects struck, only to find her ready to counter.

Wendy felt two rough, yet oily hands gripping down on her shoulder blades.

 _…no matter how unsettling it was…_

Mabel stepped forward, noticing how Wendy's expression suddenly changed, "It's okay, it's okay. I know it feels strange at first, but I promise…"

Klaus stood at the opposite end and tenderly picked up her right leg. Wendy bit her lip as the man dug his thumbs deep into the sole of her foot. The shock made her release an accidental snort.

"Ahh! Wait, don't! I'm too ticklish! I – oh…"

A calming sensation traveled up Wendy's body as the attendant went on exploring the rest of her pressure points on her ped. When he switched feet, the reaction journeyed even further. Her back no longer felt tense. The nerves in her neck loosened and seemingly faded away.

Wendy let out another pleased groan as Hans softly pounded on her backside with karate-like chops.

Pleased in seeing the sudden change in her buddy, Mabel skipped forward, "It's starting to get to ya, isn't it?"

"You…could…say…that…" Wendy moved her arm out of Hans's grip and pointed back at Klaus, "Especially what he's doing down there…"

Klaus paid no heed to the commotion, focusing his attention on flexing and kneading each of Wendy's toes. "It's what we do…"

Mabel folded her hands behind her, and rocked back and forth on her heels, "So, you're feeling better?"

"Oh, definitely," Wendy admitted. She folded her arms at the front of the table and set her head down on top of them. "In fact, I'd say it's making me…*YAWN!*…really sleepy…"

The auburn-haired young adult shut her eyes and started to drift away from consciousness. As Hans worked on her lower back, Klaus set Wendy's left foot down and approached a ready-and-waiting Mabel.

He bent down, "It looks as if your friend is well taken-care of. Let's say we get you ready for your turn?"

The over-excited girl took the guide's hand, "I thought you'd never ask!"

As Mabel was led out of the room, Wendy opened her eye slightly to see the door close behind her. Everything was going to plan. All three of them thought that she was fast asleep. She swiftly shut her eyelid again to resume the farce.

Just as the monster eventually walked into Dipper's trap; the same way her hunting prey moved into the line of fire, Wendy enjoyed the spoils of the situation as she counted the moments until the time was right.

As Hans moved to her lower neck, the headset on his ear began to ring. He wiped his hands off on his uniform and made his way towards the door, taking a second to confirm that his patient was asleep.

Wendy had to rely on her hearing to tell her what was happening. She noticed the short beep that played out before she heard the click of the door handle closing. His heeled dress shoes clicked on the floor all along the way. Once the coast was clear, Wendy raised her head to find that she was now alone in the massage room.

"Hmm? Wonder where he's off to in a hurry?"

* * *

The henchman known as Hans enabled his wireless speaker from behind the closed massage parlor door. "Talk to me, boss," he answered with his native accent.

"What do you two think you're doing?" Lil' Gideon squealed on the other side of the line.

"It's not our fault!" Hans pleaded. "We keep trying to get to rid of the gingered kid, but she's tougher than she looks. Don't worry though. I'll see to it that she gets hers!"

"That's exactly what I mean, moron! Who told you to kill her in the first place?"

Hans froze for a moment to make sense of the question. "Um…you did, Mr. Gleeful. You asked us to "take care of her…"

"Not like that!" Gideon shouted even louder. "What good is a corpse for ransom? That Wendy is to be taken _alive_! I want Dipper to feel every torment I'll put her though – the same way he tormented me for far too long! Then, and only then, I'll allow him to surrender to me! Is that understood?"

Hans opened to the door to the room as he answer, "Yes, sir. I'll handle it right away…"

* * *

A split second before the door opened, Wendy lowered her head down, resuming her state of false-sleep. In the sphere of self-endued darkness, she was forced to hide her giddiness as her suspicions were partially confirmed. While Wendy wasn't able to make out the conversation being held outside, she _did_ manage to catch the manager's last, non-accented sentence.

 _"I knew that German shtick was a total load,"_ she thought. _"They're faker than Dipper's chest hair. But it's still not enough. Mabel could care less about phony accents…"_

A few moments later, Wendy heard the door open and close a second time. The clacking sound confirmed that it was none other than the administrator's partner in crime. Without saying a word, they walked across the massage table several times. Left unaware of their true intentions, all the hairs on Wendy's neck rose as she struggled to maintain her composure.

 _"What are they doing? And what happened to Mabel?"_

*RIP!*

Suddenly, Wendy felt something tightly wrap around her left ankle. It was almost like a snake had coiled around her leg.

*RIP!*

The same feeling moved to her right foot. Wendy knew this was anything but good. She had to act now!

"Hmm…?" Wendy slowly acted being awaken. "What…what's going on?"

Alerted to her presence, Hans and Klaus hurried to her side, "There, there…" Hans attempted to calm her. "Nothing is the matter. Please continue to relax and enjoy yourself…"

Wendy went on playing dumb, "But my feet feel weird. What are you guys doing?"

She glanced over her shoulder and attempted to lift her leg towards her. Wendy could only go a few inches before having the limb halted in mid-air. She squinted to see that a Velcro strap had been locked around her left ankle. The confused teen tested the bond several times, noticing that the connecting strap had been attached to the bottom of the massage table. Wendy tried to move her right foot, seeing that a soft fetter had been locked around it as well.

"What is this?!" Wendy stared at both of the hosts. "What do you think you're doing?!"

Hans and Klaus stopped in their tracks, each giving off a nervous appearance. It reminded Wendy of when she would catch her siblings with their hands in the cookie jar.

"Well…"

"Umm…"

Hans clasped his hands together as he regained his confidence, "This may appear to be an unusual tactic, but I assure you it is standard procedure."

"Ja, Ja," Klaus chipped in. "We wouldn't want a slumbering guest falling off of, would we? Our insurance premiums would be through the roof!"

"Whatever, guys!" Wendy wasn't having any of their ridiculous excuses. She used her palms to push herself up to a kneeling position. "I think it's safe to say that tying me down is the last straw. I'm outta here!"

Seeing that their pitiful explanation was falling on deaf ears, the crewmen raised their heads and shared a nod of understanding. They had worked too hard to let their plans be ruined by the strong-willed redhead.

Hans and Klaus immediately pounced on Wendy, forcing her flat back on the towel-covered mat.

"OW! HEY!"

She thrashed about in an attempt to break free from the grip of the men on each side.

"LET GO! GET OFF ME! RIGHT NOW!"

Hans lowered his head towards Wendy's ear. "Shut yer yap, you snot-nosed, little punk!" he revealed his natural dialect. "You've been nothing but a royal pain all afternoon!"

Klaus joined in, glad to be free of the forced act, "Now, we're going to make sure you get exactly what you deserve!"

"I knew it!" Wendy exclaimed. "I knew you weirdos were up to no good!"

"Watch your tongue, before we watch it for ya!"

"Heck, pallie," Klaus reminded. "A nice pair of tongs would do the trick. And I think we'd have extra time to show our dear lass here before handing her over to the boss…"

 _"The boss?!"_ Wendy had to warn Mabel before it was too late.

"MABEL!" She screamed at the top of her lungs. "MABEL! THEY'RE – HHMMPH!"

Hans speedily covered Wendy's mouth with his free hand, "Now, we can't have that, can we?"

"Let her shout," Klaus said. "The walls are entirely sound-proof! The little one can't hear her anyways…"

"It doesn't matter though. The boss wanted her unharmed, and we delivered…"

"But you, on the other hand…"

Hans motioned towards his partner with his shoulder-blade, "Get the wrist restraints!"

Wendy watched as Klaus reached under the table with his free hand and pulled another Velcro cuff up to the tabletop. She flipped her head to see that Hans was holding its twin.

"If they get my hands," Wendy planned, "I'm a goner. If I'm going to do something, I need to do it now!"

Shifting her weight, Wendy pulled her head back, forcing Hans's left hand off her mouth. She lounged forward and bit his index finger as hard as she could.

"AAAAAAHHHHHHHH!" The villain shrieked as he grabbed his injury, giving Wendy a bit more movement. In a fit of rage, he pulled his arm back, twisted his wrist, and swung it forward for a back-handed slap.

"You little bit-"

Wendy ducked at the last second, to which Hans's blow connected with his cohort's face instead.

*SMACK!*

Klaus clutched his face with both hands, allowing Wendy to make it back to her knees. She took a hold of the still-stunned Hans and slammed his head against the front corner of the massage table.

With her kidnappers downed, Wendy leapt back into a standing position. Taking an instant to enjoy her handiwork, she went to skip down from the table, only to find that her legs wouldn't obey.

"Wha – "

Wendy looked down to see that her feet were still shackled to the counter.

"Well, well, well…" Hans taunted as he got back up. "Did we forget a little something?"

Klaus blocked her left side, "You're not going anywhere, Red!"

Hans looked at his fellow criminal and motioned downwards, "Wheels!"

Klaus followed suit and fumbled under the front end of the table. Wendy could hear a soft *CLICK!* beneath her. The burly abductors threw their full weight against their end of the bench, sending it and the fastened Wendy towards the wall at high-speed.

*CRASH!*

The shaken young adult lost her balance and stumbled to her knees. Wendy hopped with her back alongside the wooden wall. Hans and Klaus leaned over from the headrest in hopes of taking hold of the troublesome adolescent.

"C'mere, kid!"

"We promise we won't hurt you… _much_!"

Wendy noticed that both men were well above the edge of the table. With a desperate idea forming in her head, she jumped up and purposely landed hard on the balls of her feet. The front end launched into the air, striking the captors on the chin, and sending them flying.

"Wow! I can't believe that worked!"

She bent down and unlocked her ankles from the straps holding them. Wendy raced up the table and flew over the heads of her recovering opponents.

"She's getting away!"

"Stop her!"

Forgoing her robe, shoes, and hatchet, Wendy threw the door open and bolted down the hallway. She searched for any hint of Mabel's current location.

"MABEL? WHERE ARE YOU, BUDDY?!" Wendy cupped her hands as she hollered as loudly as she could. "MABEL?! CAN YOU HEAR ME?"

As she ran, the worried lumberjack scanned every aspect of the hallway from her unusually high stance…

…which is how Wendy missed the little suede boot that stuck out as she rounded the corner.

"OOF!" She moaned as she landed roughly on her knees and elbows. As she rose up, Wendy turned around to see what she tripped over…

*KLANK!*

Wendy dropped instantly; her eyes rolling back into her head. As the world started to fade away to black, she could make out a _wide blue and white blur_ setting what appeared to be a fire extinguisher down on the ground. The nearby pounding coming closer and closer confirmed that her pursuers had finally caught up with her.

"See, you idiots! _That's_ how you get things done! Don't you dare think I'm paying you for her!"

"Oh, c'mon, boss! Be fair…"


	5. Chapter 5

"Ugh…what happened…?"

The world seemed to swirl around as Wendy flicked her eyes, trying to make sense of the blur about her. She tried to stretch her limbs, finding that she was scrunched together in a near-ball-like position. For some reason, her lanky body felt overly hot.

"Well, well, well," a nasally, taunting voice called out, "Looks like ol' Sleepin' Beauty finally decided to grace us with her presence…"

"Who…?"

Wendy squint her eyes in an attempt to clear her vision. The haze soon took form, revealing a pint-sized, pale-faced boy with extremely large white-blonde hair. Donning a suede blue suit, he adjusted the tie clamping down around his pudgy neck.

"Welcome back to the world of the living, my dear."

Behind him, she recognized her assailants, the men introduced to her as Hans and Klaus. Despite being adorned with several scrapes and bruises, they stood side by side, ready to leap at their boss's command.

She was now inside of a coconut-colored room with several black boxes placed around the edges. In between each one, a series of cheaply-made plastic chairs were paired with coffee tables. The current magazine periodicals were spread across each counter.

Oddly enough, the cashier noticed that the walls were fogged up and spotty, almost like someone had just taken a shower.

"Wait, I know you…" Wendy drowsily said. "You're that weird kid that's always bugging the guys. Lil' Porkpie, right?!"

The villain's face turned a bright red. "It's Gideon!" he bellowed as he pulled at his hair in frustration. "Lil' Gideon! And trust me: after this day is through, it's a name you'll never forget!"

"I'm sure of that, tubby…" Wendy scoffed as she went to sit up. However, she found herself held steadfast. "Hey!" She tested her arms and legs, finding that they wouldn't budge. "What is this?!"

Gideon grinned and plucked the front of his suit with his fingertips, "Your new home for the time being…"

Now, fully awaken, Wendy looked around in horror to see that she had been placed inside one of the mysterious black boxes. Her neck stuck out of the top, similar in nature to that of a pillory. She turned to her left and right, seeing that bits of stream escaped through the small spaces alongside her throat. Although the cabinet prevented Wendy from seeing what was happening inside, moving about told the rest of the story.

Her wrists had been tied behind her back with thick ropes. The same types of lines bound her ankles together. Wendy tried to raise her feet, discovering that they would get yanked back after a few inches. She felt the bottom of the box with her toes, sensing that another tie connected her legs to a vent on the floor. Her soles grew hotter the closer she wiggled towards the grate, forcing her to shift her body further away.

"What's the matter? Not a fan of my personal sauna box? After your little "performance" back there, I'd figured it'd be the thing to cleanse all that nastiness from ya…" Gideon folded his arms behind him, "I tell you, your behavior was the farthest being from being "lady-like" and that's a crying shame…"

Wendy looked back at Gideon, her voice rising in an attempt to scare her captor, "Get me outta here right now, you little psychopath! Or else, I'll – "

"Do what exactly?!" Gideon dared. "You can scream your pretty head off for all I care, missy, but you're not going anywhere until I say so!"

Despite her situation, Wendy's thoughts flashed to that of her friend, "Hang a sec! Mabel! What did you do with Mabel?"

"Now, don't you worry about that, you hear?" Gideon calmed himself a bit. "My little Mabel is safe and sound, no thanks to you. After all, that's what this little venture's been all about, you know. All I wanted was a chance to rekindle my relationship without any inference from those blasted Pines!"

His fat face suddenly twisted into a sly expression, "And to be honest, that would have been more than enough for me, but then I found out exactly _who you are_ …" He clutched his hands together, "And if that wasn't the cherry on top of the fudge sundae…"

"Who I am…?" Wendy questioned. "What are you babbling about?"

"Even now!" Gideon shrieked at her. "You look at me with the same arrogance and impudence that boy carries with him. I can easily tell what he sees in you…"

Gideon moved a stool in front to Wendy's sauna prison and stood upon to present himself closer, "For months, I have searched for a way to pay your Dipper Pines back for everything he's done to me: ruined my chances with his sister, stopped me from claiming his uncle's Mystery Shack, got me in trouble with the law…"

"Sounds like all stuff you did to yourself, chubbs…"

"Well, of course you'd take his side!" Gideon argued back. "I'd expect nothing else from the apple of his eye…"

"Apple of his…" Wendy repeated in confusion until it finally clicked. "Wait. Are you saying that you plan to use Mabel and me as ransom for Dipper?"

Gideon shook his head, "Not both. _Just you_. And believe you me, I'll enjoy making that boy cry his "widdle" eyes out for "his Wendy." MWHAHAHA!"

Wendy trembled with rage. She had heard enough. The girl lashed forward as much as her confinement would allow. "You little – " Wendy threatened through gritted teeth. "I'm giving you one last chance – let me out of this thing, and I promise I'll consider not tearing you into two!"

Gideon threw his head back and laughed in her face. "You still don't get it, do you?" He stood on his tip-toes and grabbed the defenseless ginger by the face, purposely pinching her freckled cheeks.

"Don't touch me, fatty!"

"There isn't an escape for you this time! I've purposely seen to it myself!" He squeezed her harder, flashing his signature smile, "Now, you're going to sit there, be a good hostage, and keep your yap shut! Got it?"

Wendy pulled away, "Don't bet on it, ug-mo!" She pressed her lips together and spat in her subjugator's face. Gideon cried aloud as he fell off of his platform and onto the hard floor. Hans and Klaus covered their mouths and snickered quietly, until a dirty look from their employer halted them.

"You…" Gideon pulled a handkerchief from his breast pocket and wiped the saliva away. "You will pay dearly for that! I swear, by the time I'm though with you, you will be begging me to call Dipper to come save your sorry hide!"

He went towards the control panel on the front of the sauna box and adjusted the dial to raise the temperature within. Wendy let out a groan as the space surrounding her grew ten degrees hotter.

"Yeah…" the spoiled troublemaker paced backwards to admire his handiwork. "And that's only the beginning. Just you wait and see. And by the time that fool Dipper realizes what's going on, it'll already be too late…"

"What…" Wendy breathed hard, "What are you saying?"

"When everything's said and done," Gideon snorted. "You're just an end to a means. After I torment your little boyfriend for a bit, he'll desperately try to mount a rescue. Of course, he'll find you – or should I say, what's left of you, and when that happens, dearest Mabel and I will be hundreds of miles away, starting our new life together!"

"You're insane!"

Gideon chuckled under his heavy breath, "Oh, I'm not mad at all. I just get angry at stupid bumpkin girls who think it's cute to spit in my face." He held an innocent hand against his chest. "But I'm not all bad…" He waddled towards a table on Wendy's left side. Her eyes followed him as he picked up a metal pitcher and poured a drink into a plastic cup. Wendy could hear ice cubes clacking inside.

The phony psychic reached up and placed the glass on top of the box next to Wendy's head. A thin white and red straw poked out of the top, tempting the parched teen to take a sip. Wendy attempted to move towards the frosty beverage, discovering that her mouth missed the mark by mere millimeters.

"Heh!" Gideon shrugged his shoulders innocently. "Oh, well. Better luck next time!" He spun around on his boots, "If you'll excuse me, I have a wonderful young lady waiting for me…" The two henchmen followed their boss as he made his exit.

"Where do you think you're going?" Wendy ordered, "Get back here!"

The mastermind paid her no heed as he went on his way.

"You leave Mabel alone! Do you hear me?!"

He pointed back at his captive, "You two stand guard at the door. I trust you can handle that…"

Hans and Klaus shared a disgruntled look before returning their attention to their boss,

"Yes, sir."

"You got it, chief…"

The three closed the door behind them, leaving Wendy alone in her incarceration. She grunted and twisted her athletic form, trying to find a way to squirm out of her bonds. Her mind turned to that of her young admirer; of how much this Gideon kid really had it out for Dipper. She remembered his warnings of the ultra-paranoid detective; of how she shouldn't take the suspicious and disbelieving so lightly.

While Wendy was unaware of how deep the rivalry between the two males went, she was more than certain of one thing. Once Dipper received word that both she and his sister were in danger's way, he was going to flip his lid!

She closed her eyes to gain better concentration. Her body would have to be her sight within the locked steam box. Her escape would be indeed difficult, but not impossible. Being in such a predicament was the furthest thing from foreign to her. Babysitting duty with three mischievous young brothers had seen to that.

Her thoughts wandered as she attempted to lower her tied arms down her back. Once Gideon would through playing his sick game, Wendy knew that Dipper would stop at nothing to rescue her, but that was the very last thing she wanted.

After some straining, the tougher-than nails lumberjack was able to slide her arms beneath her raised bottom. Wendy let out a loud cry, as her shoulder blades popped, almost out of socket. She dragged the rope down her legs, until she reached a snag. The lash holding her ankles to the floor prevented Wendy from hoisting her hands to her front.

"Darn it!" she cursed. Despite the setback, the fifteen-year-old refused to give up. She had no intention of being reduced to a damsel in distress or anyone's bargaining chip. Wendy planned on keeping her promise to Dipper: she _will_ make sure Mabel comes home safe and sound just as if he was here in her place.

The sweat dripping down her arms and legs gave Wendy an idea. She moved her feet closer to the vent pumping hot air into the sauna box, raising them slightly as the steam singed her flesh.

"C'mon…," Wendy pleaded as she tried to kick her legs from within the tie. The more her body perspired, the more slack she was given bit by bit. After one final thrust, one of Wendy's feet slipped out of the constricted lasso holding them together.

"Phew!"

The heat was starting to get to her. The room spun again. Her skin tone was now a baked red. Wendy forced herself to take deep breaths. The last thing she needed was to fade away into unconsciousness again.

Placing her legs up on the ledge where she currently sat, Wendy maneuvered her bound wrists under her, bringing them back to her front. Her fingertips told her that she had been tied using a simple love knot; she took a second to appreciate the irony in its name. It would be easy enough to undo, but it would have to wait. Getting out of the box was Wendy's current priority.

She felt the front of the box, finding nothing but a smooth, sanded surface. The release latch was on the outside.

"Oh, come on!" Wendy complained. "Who designs this garbage like this?"

Escape would have to come another way. Wendy held her knees up to her chest. She lowered her body as much as the hold securing her slender neck would permit. Hopefully, Gideon wasn't smart enough to secure the handle with a padlock or something similar to nature.

*THUD!*

She delivered a well-placed kick to the doors holding her inside. Wendy watched them bend outwards a bit before returning to their previous position. With a few more attempts, she would be free.

*THUD!*

*THUD!*

*THUD!*

Wendy switched blows; left foot, right foot, both at the same time. With every jolt, the doors stretched out further and further.

"AHH!"

Her struggles knocked over the frigid beverage placed next to her. Even though the icy sensation was somewhat refreshing, the sudden change in temperatures almost sent her in shock. Wendy pushed away the feeling, returning to the task at hand.

*THUD!*

*THUD!*

*THUD!*

Her knees were starting to ache. The bottoms of her bare feet were throbbing from the impacts against the hardened wood. Despite the pain, Wendy ignored the discomfort and continued on.

*THUD!*

*THUD!*

"Almost…there…"

* * *

From outside of the sauna box room, Hans and Klaus were conversing, only to stop when hearing a loud banging noise coming from within.

*THUD!*

*THUD!*

*THUD!*

"What in the heck is that?" Klaus asked.

"Relax!" Hans waved the concern away. "It's probably that the girl thrashing about. Nothing to worry about. She'll tire herself out soon enough."

"What if she escapes?"

Hans looked at his friend in disbelief, "Are you kidding, man? Did you see the way she was tied? Unless that girl's secretly Houdini, there's no way she's getting out of there!"

Klaus relaxed his shoulders and leaned back against the door frame."

"I guess not…"

The two men stared straight ahead as Hans let out a disheartened sigh.

"Where did we go wrong?"

Klaus turned his head, "What do you mean?"

"I mean all _this_!" Hans encircled the area with his arms. "Think about it, man! Here we are, standing guard for some rich fat kid, who paid us to kidnap two other kids: one he plans to whisk away against her will and the other planned for ransom to lure a fourth kid here!"

"I blame the economy," Klaus shrugged. "What other type of work can actors and models get in the world today? You have to pick up the occasional odd-job here and there."

"I blame the parents," Hans added. "I mean, teenagers or not, all of these brats are running around without any type of adult supervision. Even the chubby one is flashing around daddy's checkbook like no one's business."

"Hey, at least it works out for us…"

"True…"

They returned to silence for a moment, before a shade of guilt entered Klaus's mind.

"Do you think he meant what he said?"

"About what?"

"About the girl. The big redhead. He kept going on and on about how he was going to torture her."

"And?" Hans asked.

"Do you think he'll actually do something? She's a pain, but still – "

"Probably not." Hans nodded. "The kid is a showman, after all. An actor, like us. If anything, he was trying to talk a big game to try to scare her. That's the thing about "tough girls:" a lot of guys, even little ones, are easily intimated by them. And sometimes, they feel the need to bring them down a peg or two…"

"So, if "our fearless leader" was being dead serious…?"

"Prrf!" Hans ridiculed. "That girl is built like a brick house. You remember what she did to us, so I'm sure she can fend for herself. Besides, what's the worse he could do at a spa?"

Klaus looked up, "Anything worse that we did?"

Hans thought about it for a moment, "You know what always gave me the creeps here? Those little hot coals that they use for the foot treatments…"

His cohort went silent, "Imagine if he put them between her toes?

"Or on her navel?"

They shuddered in fear of the possibilities, not wishing such a fate on anyone. However, the final choice would be that of their employer.

"Like he said, he was going to make her cry out for her mama!"

Klaus gave a confused look, "Wait, I thought he said that one doesn't have a mom?"

"Oh, well. That explains a lot. I guess our friend better hope that her beau comes to save her – "

*KRAK!*

From behind the guards, two hands reached out, each seizing a head. They were forced together in a violent, sickening collision that echoed throughout the hallway. Hans and Klaus slumped downwards into a pile on top one another.

Dusting her hands off, Wendy stepped over the fallen henchmen. Her bikinied body dripped wet from a mixture of sweat and the remainder of cold water from the nearby pitcher that she poured on herself. She looked over her shoulder at the unconscious baddies, whom were unfortunate enough to have her walk in while speaking about the subject most delicate to her heart.

"…that's what you get, jerks…"

Wendy walked towards her next objective. She had to find the evil mastermind behind this misadventure. The swelling growing in her feet made her limb, preventing her from running long distances.

"M-Mabel?"

Her voice cracked in mid-sentence. The effects of the sauna still messed with her. Wendy would give anything to stop for a quick nap, but she didn't have any time to waste. Heaven only knew what Gideon had planned next.

For the umpteenth time, Wendy found herself lost in the maze of nearly-identical white hallways. If only she had a clue to where to turn next…

"AAIIEEEEEE!"

A shrill scream filled the air among the now-nightmarish soft-natural music the spa's speakers pumped out. Wendy followed the screech, worn-out legs be damned around a corner close by.

"AAIIEEEEEE!"

The call went out again, leading Wendy to the only closed door in the foyer. She jiggled the knob, finding it held fast.

"MABEL!" Wendy pounded on the door. "Open up! NOW!"

She didn't receive a response, save for girlish scream after scream. Left without any other choice, Wendy dashed against the entry with her shoulder. She moaned as the hinge was starting to give way.

"AAHHH!"

"That tears it!"

Wendy drew her right leg back as far as she could. There was no way she was going to let Mabel or Dipper down. Pumped by pure adrenaline and a new-found hatred of their shared enemy, Wendy threw a bare foot into the door, knocking it off its holdings.

"Ow – Ow – Ow…"

The rescuer hobbled into the room, "Don't worry, buddy! I'm here and – "

Her emerald eyes grew wide at the speculate playing out before her.

"What in the world is going on here?"

On the other side of the room, Lil' Gideon cowered in a chair in the right hand corner as he was being attacked by a vicious and angry Mabel.

"Now, sugar plum," Gideon pleaded, holding his hands up in surrender. "Can't we talk about this – OW!"

"You sneak! You scallywag! You creeper!" The metal-mouthed pixie plummet the obese stalker with a rolled up magazine. "What part of "no means no" don't you understand?"

She gave up on her attack as soon as she spotted her companion. "WENDY!"

Mabel skipped towards her friend and wrapped her arms around her waist. Taking a breath of relief, Wendy placed a comforting hand on top the long crown of brown hair against her side.

"Hey, you alright, Mabes?"

The older Pines twins pointed at the intruder. "He won't leave me alone!"

Wendy looked up at Gideon, "So, I've heard…" After double-checking over her pal, she had to ask, "Why didn't you just run away?"

Mabel motioned downwards, prompting Wendy to follow suit. Plastic pink dividers had been placed within her toes. "I just had a second coat put on my nails and didn't want to chip them…"

"Mabel…"

Seeing the abominable teen in all her glory sent Gideon into a further panic, "Oh no! Not you, too! What happened to my guards?"

Wendy flashed a toothy grin, "Let's say that they're went beddy-bye for now…"

"Huh?" Mabel looked up from her safe haven. "Wendy, what is he talking about? What happened to Hans and Klaus?"

Wendy glanced down at her charge, even now not wanting to completely break her heart.

"Um…" she bit her lip. "We're gonna have to talk about a few things in a bit…" She gently moved Mabel to the side. "But for now," Wendy advanced towards Gideon. "I have a bit of unfinished business to take care of…"

"Stay back!" Gideon hopped on the chair and threw himself alongside the wall. "Don't you dare lay a hand on me! I'll sue you for everything – "

Wendy reached down and picked up the ranting boy by his collar. He attempted to take a swing at her, resulting in making himself spin around endlessly. "I'll – "

"Hmm…" Wendy teased. "Say there, blubber boy. You look awfully steamed. In fact…" She narrowed her eyes, "I think I know the perfect way for you to get rid of all that anger…"

"What?! No! NOOOO!

* * *

Hours later, the double door entrance of the spa was thrown open. Dipper Pines rushed through as he clutched a piece of paper in his right hand.

"MABEL! WENDY!" He shouted, as his eyes scanned the area for any sign of the girls. "We have to get out of here! I've figured it out! _Dingeo Leegulf is an anagram for Gideon Gleeful!"_

"And the last horse crosses the finish line!" A familiar voice called out. _"It's about time you figured it out. Everyone else already has!"_

Dipper followed the mockery into an open door. Inside of the cocoa-themed room, he spotted his arch nemesis Gideon Gleeful in a particular position. Seated into what appeared to be a giant sauna box, the vengeful boy's skin had turned a bright red as beads of sweat flowed down his fat cheeks.

"…Gideon…" Dipper murmured, just somewhat shocked that he had been able to find a way out of prison. The small sleuth cleared his mind, "Where are Wendy and Mabel? What have you done to them?"

In spite of his situation, his sworn enemy took some pleasure in seeing his opponent strive with worry, "Wouldn't you like to know?"

Dipper refused to waste any more precious time. He took flight from the room, back into the hallway as Gideon called after him, "Wait! Get me out of here, you –"

With his heart racing from his feet to his throat, Dipper cupped his mouth and shouted to the top of his lungs as he ran, "WENDY! MABEL! WHERE ARE YOU GUYS?!"

At long last, he received a response:

"Dude! Over here!"

Dipper sprinted further into the seemingly endless white hallway as he traced the voice. Coming across an open doorway, he rushed inside, sliding to a stop once seeing what lied within. His nerves calmed as he tried to understand what was happening here.

"What the – "

Mabel and Wendy were resting upon giant lounge chairs in the center of the room. Dressed in fancy white robes, the girls laughed and giggled as they were waited on hand and foot by two muscular servants. For some reason, each man had a series of bruises and cuts alongside their faces.

The blonde work stood on Mabel's left, carefully pouring what appeared to be sparkling grape juice into a fancy cocktail glass in her right hand. She thanked the man and loudly sipped her drink.

On the other side, the brown-haired counterpart knelt at Wendy's feet. With a smug expression, he held her right foot, now carefully bandaged, in his hands and slowly massaged it. The exhausted high-schooler sat back in her seat, holding her trademark hatchet in her left hand.

It took a moment for the girls to realize that Dipper had arrived. They looked up from their individual activities.

"DIPPER!"

"Hey, guy!" Wendy greeted. "How's it going?"

"How's it – " Dipper repeated in amazement. He threw his arms in the air, "What happened here? Are you two alright?"

Mabel and Wendy looked at each other before answering.

"We're A-OK!"

"Couldn't be better, Dip. Things were a bit rough at first, but now – HAHA!"

Wendy griped her blade and held it against her masseur's neck, "What did I tell you?! _Massage, not tickle!_ It happens again, I'm slicing that ponytail off and turning it into a tassel for my bike! Got it?!"

He simply nodded, "Y-Y-Yes, Miss Corduroy…"

She went back into her relaxed state, "…good…"

As Dipper continued to watch completely flabbergasted, Wendy turned to Mabel, "You know what, kiddo. I owe you an apology. Now, that I see what this "spa-pamper" stuff's really about, I'll admit, it's not that bad at all. A girl could get used to this…"

Mabel smiled and offered her glass up in a toast, "You said it, sister!"

With her free hand, Wendy picked up her drink and tapped it against Mabel's, as both girls exploded into hysterical laughter, leaving their would-be liberator more baffled than before.

*CHING!*

 _(February 16_ _th_ _, 2016 – March 25_ _th_ _, 2016)_


End file.
